Week 5 Lesson: Faithful (Committed)

A Precious Word from God

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:13 (NET)

“You have my word on it” or “Let’s shake on it” used to be words that meant commitment and trust. When people agreed to a deal, a handshake or a promise sealed it. Today, even signing a legal contract doesn’t seem to bind the parties, who often look for ways to get around their promises.

A Precious Word from God

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:13 (NET)

Faithfulness means being trustworthy, trustful, sure, and true.⁴ We may say we’ll do something and then change our minds and not follow through. But God is always true to his word to us; he is committed to do exactly what he has promised.

Day One Study

Today we will look at God’s faithfulness, knowing that we are to be like him.

1. What do these verses say about God and faithfulness?

a. 1 Cor. 1:9

b. 1 Cor. 10:13

c. 1 Thess. 5:23-24

d. 2 Thess. 3:3

e. 2 Tim. 2:13 (our memory verse)

2. Sharing question: Which verse in the previous question was most meaningful to you? Why?

Diamonds in the Word: Look up Old Testament references to God’s faithfulness. Memorize your favorite verse.

3. What do you learn about Jesus’ faithfulness in Heb. 3:1-6?

4. Read Heb. 11:17-19. How did Abraham’s belief in God’s faithfulness affect his actions?

5. Sharing question: Consider a situation with which you are dealing right now in your life. If you truly believed that God is faithful to his word and his promises, how would that affect your attitude or your actions? Write down your thoughts and be prepared to share them with your group. Consider making this your weekly prayer request, asking for enough faith to act on God’s faithfulness to you in the situation.

6. Responding to God: Pray your prayer request for yourself; begin with praising God for his faithfulness. You may want to pray back the verse in #1 that was most meaningful to you. Write down your prayer.

Day Two Study

This week’s example of faithfulness is Jonathan, who was a prince, the oldest son of Saul, the first King of Israel. Today we begin his story.

Read 1 Sam. 13:1-14, (The first biblical reference to Jonathan is in v. 2.)

7. Summarize the situation Saul and Jonathan faced and what happened. Write it as a newspaper story, highlighting the important points and maybe including quotes from first-hand witnesses. What most important point should be the headline in your estimation? To understand what happened, read 1 Sam. 10:8, realizing that several years have passed since this statement.

8. How do you understand the problem with what Saul did?

9. What would have been the ramifications to Jonathan from his father’s foolish sin?

Diamonds in the Word: Read 1 Sam. 15:1-23, and consider Saul’s sin here and God’s response. What do you find similar?

10. Sharing question: How would you have felt toward your father, toward Samuel, and toward God at this point if you had been Jonathan? Why? Have you ever borne the brunt of the sin of another person, perhaps a parent or grandparent? What was it, and how did you feel toward those involved?

11. Responding to God: Our families of origin greatly impact us, either for good or for bad. Spend time thanking God for the good that you gained from them or praying for those who hurt you, as Jesus told us to do. Claim the promise of Rom. 8:28-30 and believe it.

Day Three Study

After God rejected Saul as king and his family as heirs of the throne, he sent Samuel to anoint David to be the next king in 1 Sam. 16:1-13. If you have time, you may want to read this part of the story as well.

Read 1 Sam. 18:1-4 as we finally get to the crux of the story that reveals Jonathan’s faithfulness.

12. What happened between Jonathan and David?

The action of giving David his robe and fighting gear indicate that Jonathan made a covenant with David. These gifts were merely symbols of the pact between the two of them involving promises of peace and protection. They indicate that the parties are becoming “blood brothers” as many cultures called them, sealing the pact with blood.

Diamonds in the Word: Read about covenants and their symbols in your Bible resources. Note anything that applies to this story.

Skim 1 Sam. 18:5-30 in light of the next question.

13. What created a rift between Saul and David?

Read 1 Sam. 19:1-6.

14. What was Jonathan’s role in the situation between his father and his friend? How does it relate to their covenant?

Read Mt. 26:26-28.

15. Sharing question: When you become a believer in Jesus, you enter a covenant with him. What does it mean to you to be Jesus’ “blood brother” as you think of the promises that attach to that covenant?

16. Responding to God: Write a prayer or poem of thanks to Jesus for shedding his blood to become your blood brother.

Day Four Study

Read 1 Sam. 20:1-23.

17. Summarize the story.

18. How do you see Jonathan’s faithfulness through his actions?

19. What further promises did the new covenant between Jonathan and David involve (1 Sam. 20:14-16)? What did Jonathan say here that suggests that he knew that David was God’s choice as the new king?

Diamonds in the Word: Read the story of David’s faithfulness to his promises to Jonathan here in 2 Sam. 9:1-12.

20. How does Jonathan epitomize Ps. 15:2-4? (Read the entire psalm to get the context.)

21. Sharing question: Have you ever regretted a promise because fulfilling it was disadvantageous to you? Perhaps it was the promises you made when you entered the marriage covenant or simply a promise to do something for someone. Did you keep it or not? Why?

22. Responding to God: If you were not faithful to your word or promise in the past, is there any way to make amends, not simply through words but also through deeds? What should you do? Talk to God about this and ask for his forgiveness, knowing he wants you to commit to restoration or recompense if possible, asking for forgiveness without excuse. Write down your prayer and your commitment before God, and be faithful to these words.

Day Five Study

Read 1 Sam. 20:24-42.

23. Summarize how Jonathan was faithful to his words to David.

24. What did Saul say to Jonathan to remind him that it was to his advantage that David die (1 Sam. 20:31)?

25. Read these verses and record your insights concerning faithfulness:

a. Mt. 5:33-37

b. Ecc. 5:1-6

c. Prov. 25:19

d. Gal. 5:22-23

Diamonds in the Word: Use a topical Bible or other topical resource to find other verses on faithfulness.

26. Sharing question: It is very common in our culture to fail to follow through with obligations. We even back out of commitments we have made to the church and to God himself. How counter-culture would believers look if we backed up all of our words? What kind of statement would we make as believers if we worked to the best of our ability because that is what we were hired to do? What if we never lied about sick days? What if we followed through with a commitment even when it became inconvenient or to our disadvantage? Share your thoughts with your group.

27. Sharing question: Is your yes really a yes and your no a no? Do you follow through with what you say you will do? Think of both big promises and off-the-cuff words that you say. Consider your marriage vows or contracts that you have signed—big promises! Have you paid off the debts that you promised to pay or did you choose to go bankrupt without repayment? Have you backed out of commitments to your friends, co-workers, or church? Rate yourself from 1-5 in faithfulness. Share your rating and your reasoning with your group. What one practical step can you take so that you don’t agree to things that you later regret?

28. Responding to God: Confess your unfaithfulness to God; commit to show the world what he is like—faithful to his word and his promises!

Kay H’s Story

Shortly after my first daughter, Emily, was born I realized the need for more volunteers in Children’s Ministry. The truth is, I had always been aware of the ongoing need for volunteers in this area and had even responded once before as a young, single woman. That time God redirected me to High School Ministry in which I served for several years. Though that service was time consuming and very challenging, it also brought great rewards such as lifelong friendships, spiritual growth (mostly for me, but hopefully also for those I served), and a sense of joy and excitement in serving God well.

Now, as a new mom, I sensed not only the urgent need for workers in Children’s Ministry, but also the expectation (subtle and otherwise) that I would help to meet that need. Other moms would innocently ask, “Where do you serve in Children’s Ministry?” or “Do you help in the nursery or preschool area?” I felt guilty dropping off and picking up Emily knowing that others were giving their time to care for her and I was doing “nothing.” Finally, I caved in to all the pressure and agreed to work in the nursery. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out that was not the place for me. I dreaded going. I barely managed to get through my shift. I left discouraged and exhausted every time. I began to feel resentful. I talked to my husband about it and he tried to encourage me (but then he actually enjoys serving in Children’s Ministry, so it was difficult for him to relate to how I was feeling). I talked to God about it and basically He said, “What in the world are you doing in Children’s Ministry? Did I ask you to do that?” I realized I had made a mistake—being more concerned about other people’s needs and expectations than God’s. However, I had made a commitment and I knew God expected me to fulfill it. (He swears to his own hurt and does not change Psalm 15:4c.) So I did, to the best of my ability and totally dependent on the Lord. The when it came time to “reenlist,” my husband did and I didn’t, and I was OK with that.

I’d like to say I learned my lesson from that experience, but the truth is that I made the same mistake a few years later when Emily moved to the preschool area. Kevin and I signed up to teach her class on a regular basis. I thought I might enjoy it more. I let myself get talked into it. Then after a few weeks I deeply regretted my decision. Still, I finished out the year as best I could (with greater humility than enthusiasm).

Now, I think I get it. I’ve learned the importance of responding to God’s leading rather than others’ expectations (real or perceived). He’s been gracious in allowing me to serve Him in ways that, while still challenging, are fun and rewarding for me. And now I don’t ever just assume He wants me to do something just because I “can,” since the truth is that I can’t apart from Him. He keeps me from over committing time or energy and He gives me peace and permission to say “no.” Sometimes He even pushes me to say “yes” to things I’d rather not—like occasionally volunteering a few hours in Children’s Ministry.

Growing in Godliness for Moms - Faithful

In the lesson this week, we saw the faithful friendship between Jonathan and David. Jonathan was someone that David could count on. Jonathan demonstrated loyal love to his friend. How does this speak to us as moms?

Have you experienced unfaithfulness from a parent, a friend, or a spouse? How did it feel to know that you could not trust a person to keep his word? How secure did you feel in that relationship?

Our children need to know and experience a relationship with us in which we are faithful. Our love is constant. We keep our word. We are not shifting from day to day based on whims. Our faithfulness gives them security.

I have experienced this type of faithfulness from my husband. He is constant in his unconditional love for me and in keeping his word. I have thanked the Lord for allowing me to know what this kind of faithfulness and unconditional love feels like.

In a similar way, our children can have a foundation of security as we relate to them in faithfulness and unconditional love. The world may accept them conditionally and may not follow through on promises, but we can provide a place where they know that they are loved and accepted.

Even if you have not experienced faithfulness in earthly relationships, you can break the cycle and be the first in your family to be faithful. You can leave a legacy of faithfulness to your children that they would not have otherwise. Ask the Lord to help you be faithful in spite of the disappointments, hurts, and broken promises that you have experienced. Begin by reminding yourself of the faithfulness of God. We can always depend on His faithfulness.

In the turbulent and unstable world in which we live, our children need to know that they can depend on us as moms. It is difficult to break out of the mold of broken commitments and instability that characterizes so many families. However, God wants to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness to our children not only through His word but also through us as moms. Are you willing to let God use you to display His character to your children through your faithfulness?

Lord, we live in such a broken world. Families are torn apart by infidelity. Broken promises, ruined lives, and fractured families are the rule not the exception. Please help us as Christian moms to love our husbands and our children unconditionally and to live out faithfulness in all of our relationships.

Proverbs 20:6

Many people profess their loyalty,

but a faithful person – who can find?

Action Step: Write a note to each of your children affirming how much you love them and how thankful you are that God created them exactly as He did. Remind them of God’s love for them and let them know that you are always there for them.

⁴ Strong’s #4103 pistos

P46 as the Earliest Witness of 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Related Media

Editor’s note: The following was a term paper that Mike Svigel did for a Th.M. course on 1-2 Thessalonians which I teach at Dallas Seminary. It is a creative, well-researched paper, that attempts to argue that, even though P46 is not extant in 1 Thess 2, judging by the number of lines per page and number of characters per line where it is extant, is most likely that this papyrus contained these four verses. Whether he has made his case is up for the reader to decide.

Daniel B. Wallace
August 24, 2004

Problem

Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians is dated by nearly all NT scholars at around A.D. 50. However, the four verses from 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 have been regarded by several scholars as a post-A.D. 70 interpolation for historical, theological, or form-critical reasons,¹ contrary to all extant Greek MS evidence.² Even Pearson, who believes one should turn to theories of interpolation only as a final option, suggests that “the historical and theological difficulties in 1 Thessalonians 2 are such that one must begin again to entertain such a hypothesis.”³

On the face of it, such a hypothesis would seem possible, yet improbable. Given the sizable number of MSS available to the textual critic, it would be reasonable to expect some trace of an original and easier reading to survive among the Greek MS traditions, though it is of course a possibility that such a reading (without 2:13–16) could be entirely lost to a more difficult, problematic reading twenty years older. Yet taking into account the presumed reluctance of most copyists to tamper with their Vorlage and considering the possibility that even variants that developed in first generation copies of MSS may be preserved in separate textual traditions,⁴ it would seem the interpolation theory should be advanced with caution and adopted with reluctance.

Nevertheless, the doubts concerning 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 persist. With this article I will contribute to the discussion by demonstrating that P46—the earliest papyrus MS of 1 Thessalonians—included the passage. This MS, dated c. A.D. 200 and included in a codex of Pauline writings, suggests that at the time of its copying the text of 2:13–16 already enjoyed a stable position in the Pauline corpus. Although this does not prove that the text of 2:13–16 is original to Paul, it pushes back external evidence for the existence of the verses into the late second century while currently the earliest extant MSS that read for those disputed verses, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, are from the fourth century.

Method

The first problem with P46 is that the only extant verses of 1 Thessalonians are on two non-sequential page fragments, the first containing the end of Colossians and 1 Thessalonians 1:1 on its front and traces of 1:9—2:3 on its back (fol. 94).⁵ The second fragment has 1 Thessalonians 5:5–9 on the front and 5:23–28 on the reverse (fol. 97).⁶ Since the two leaves that originally contained chapters 3 and 4 are lost, at first glance it appears impossible to determine if 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 was present in P46. However, due to the length of the debated passage and the condition of the fragments, a careful analysis reveals whether or not the verses were contained in one of the missing leaves. The method of this reconstruction and analysis is presented below.

First I selected a standard Greek text from which to reconstruct the missing text of P46. The only viable options were the Textus Receptus and the critical text of Nestle-Aland27. For the purpose of this study minor variants between these texts are of little consequence, since a difference of even a whole line of additions or omissions would not affect the final determination of whether the whole of 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 was present in the original P46. I have therefore decided to use the more commonly accepted NA27 as the standard, making the reasonable assumption that the original text of 1 Thessalonians in P46 was fairly similar to that edition.⁷

Second, I determined the average number of characters per line in this part of P46.⁸ By filling in gaps with NA27, I reconstructed the text of the missing portions of the first fragment (fol. 94r and 94v), modifying the text of NA27 to include nomina sacra regularly used in P46 as well as known spelling variations in the MS.⁹ I then counted the number of characters reconstructed between two letters that appear on opposite sides of the actual fragment.¹⁰ The letter ε in the partial word υμειν (1 Thess 1:1) at the bottom left corner of 94r is matched on the opposite side by the υ of the abbreviated θυ (1 Thess 2:2).¹¹ Between these two letters in the reconstructed text there are 1,063 characters.¹² Kenyon has pointed out that in P46 “the number of lines on a page varies between 25 and 32, but tends to increase as the MS. progresses.”¹³ My personal examination revealed that toward the end of the MS the average is actually between 29 and 32. Since I was working with close estimates anyway and since this study could accept a margin of error as great as a whole line of text, I safely estimated that fol. 94 had 30 lines of text per page. This renders an average of 35.4 characters per line of text.

Third, I estimated how many lines the text of 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 would have occupied had it been present in the missing leaves of P46. Using NA27 as the base text and contracting all nomina sacra regularly used by the scribe of P46, the debated text would have consisted of approximately 522 characters. Dividing 522 by the average number of characters per line (35.4), I concluded that 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 would have taken up 14.75 lines of text, virtually half a page in P46.

Fourth, I examined a full-sized facsimile of the actual fragments of P46 to ascertain where both 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 5:5 are positioned on the leaves. Due to the nature of the extant fragments, this is relatively easy to determine. By projecting the text of Colossians from the penultimate leaf to the final fragmentary leaf where that epistle ends and 1 Thessalonians begins, I determined within a one line margin of error upon which of the thirty lines of the leaf 1 Thessalonians began. The reconstruction of fol. 94 below demonstrates this:¹⁴

[top of fol. 93v]

[1]	ωνιναοθσανοιχηημινθυραντουλογουλα
2	λησαιτομυστηριοντουξρυδιοκαιδεδεμαι
3	ιναφανερωσωαυτοωσδειμελαλησαι
4	ενσοφιαπεριπατειτεπροστουσεχωτον
5	καιρονεχαγοραζομενοιολογοσυμων
6	παντοτεενξαριτιαλατιηρτυμενοσειδε
7	ναιπωσδειυμασενιεκαστωαποκρινεσ
8	θαιτακατεμεπανταγνωρισειυμιντυ
9	χικοσοαγαπητοσαδελφοσκαιπιστοσδιακονοσ
10	καισυνδουλοσενκωονεπεμψαπροσυμασ
11	εισαυτοτουτοιναγνωτεταπεριημωνκαιπα
12	ρακαλεσητασκαρδιασυμωνσυνονησιμω
13	τωπιστωκαιαγαπητωαδελφωοσεστιν
14	εχυμωνπανταυμινγνωρισουσινταωδε
15	ασπαζεταιυμασαπισταρξοσοσυναιξμαλω
16	τοσμουκαιμαρκοσοανεψιοσβαρναβαπε
17	ριουελαβετεεντολασεανελθηπροσυμασδε
18	ξασθεαυτονκαιιησουσολεγομενοσιουστο
19	σοιοντεσεκπεριτομησαυτοιμονοισυν
20	εργοιεισγηνβασιλειαντουθυοιτινεσεγε
21	νηθησανμοιπαρηγοριαασπαζεταιυμασ
22	επαφρασοεχυμωνδουλοσξρυιηυπαντοτε
23	αγωνιζομενοσυπερυμωνενταισπροσευξαισ
24	ινασταθητετελειοικαιπεπληροφορημενοιεν
[25]	παντιθεληματιτουθυμαρτυρωγαραυτωο
[26]	τιεξειπολυνπονονυπερυμωνκαιτωνενλ
[27]	αοδικειακαιτωνενιεραπολειασπαζετα
[28]	ιυμασλουκασοιατροσοαγαπητοσκαιδημ
[29]	ασασπασασθετουσενλαοδικειααδελφου
[30]	σκαινυμφανκαιτηνκατοικοναυτησεκκλ

[bottom of fol. 93v]

[top of fol. 94r]

1	ησιανκαιοταναναγνωσθηπαρυμινηεπισ
2	τοληποιησατεινακαιεντηλαοδικεωνεκ
3	κλησιααναγνωσθηκαιτηνεκλαοδικειασ
4	ινακαιυμεισαναγνωτεκαιειπατεαρξιπ
5	πωβλεπετηνδιακονιανηνπαρελαβεσενκ
6	υριωινααυτηνπληροισοασπασμοστηεμη
7	ξειριπαυλουμνημονευετεμουτωνδεσμω
8	νηξαρισμεθυυμων
9 ¹⁵
10
11
12
13	παυλοσκαισιλουανοσκαιτιμοθεοστηεκκλησιαθε
14	σσαλονικεωνενθωπρικαικωιηυξρυξαρισυμ
15	εινκαιειρηνηευξαριστουμεντωθωπαντοτ
16	επεριπαντωνυμωνμνειανποιουμενοιεπιτ
17	ωνπροσευξωνημωναδιαλειπτωσμνημονευο
18	ντεσυμωντουεργουτησπιστεωσκαιτουκοπ
19	ουτησαγαπησκαιτησυπομονηστησελπιδοσ
20	τουκυημωνιηυξρυεμπροσθεντουθυκαιπρσ
21	ημωνειδοτεσαδελφοιηγαπημενοιυποτουθ
22	υτηνεκλογηνυμωνοτιτοευαγγελιονημωνο
23	υκεγενηθηεισυμασενλογωμονοναλλακαιε
24	νδυναμεικαιενπνευματιαγιωκαιενπληρ
25	οφοριαπολληκαθωσοιδατεοιοιεγενηθημε
26	νυμινδιυμασκαιυμεισμιμηταιημωνεγενη
27	θητεκαιτουκυδεχαμενοιτονλογονενθλιψ
28	ειπολλημεταξαρασπνσαγιουωστεγενεσθα
29	ιυμαστυπονπασιντοισπιστευουσινεντημ
30	ακεδονιακαιεντηαξαιααφυμωνγαρεχηξητ

[bottom of fol. 94r]

According to this reconstruction, 1 Thessalonians begins on or about the thirteenth line of the page (fol. 94r).

Finally, I established upon which line of the page the words of the next extant fragment lie (fol. 97). A close examination of the fragment made this positioning certain, as one can easily discern that the first visible character in the fragment is at the top corner of the page.¹⁶ Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 1:1 begins on the thirteenth line of the recto side of leaf 94 and the beginning of 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (παν[τες]) falls on the first line of the recto side of leaf 97.

Having established this, I could then approximate the missing pages of P46 by projecting the standard NA27 outwards from the thirteenth line of the first page, dividing up the letters into lines consisting of 35.4 characters and onto pages of 30 lines each.¹⁷ The hypothetical reconstruction in the Appendix includes 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16. If the verses were actually included in the original missing leaves of P46, then 5:5 in the reconstruction would fall near the first line of the front of the leaf. If the verses were missing from the original pages of P46, then the addition of these lines in the reconstruction would cause a shift forward by approximately 14.75 lines, placing 5:5 not at the top of the leaf, but in the middle of the page.

The result of the reconstruction was revealing. In the hypothetical text of the missing leaves of P46, the first word of 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (παν) fell in the center of line 27 of fol. 96v, three and a half lines earlier than it does in the actual extant fragment (line 1 of fol. 96r). Therefore, it can be demonstrated that 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 was almost certainly part of the original P46, even though the leaf on which that text was originally written is lost today.

Implications And Conclusion

Establishing that 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 was included in the original complete P46 places the external evidence for the reading at least as early A.D. 200, the date of that MS. Although the text type in that papyrus has been characterized as “free,”¹⁸ and the scribe regarded as a “blunderer,”¹⁹ one can discern no pattern of variants in the text that would suggest the scribe of P46 was interested in anything other than preserving the MS tradition of the exemplar.²⁰ Nor does it appear that the tradition of his exemplar would be characterized as grossly unreliable. Therefore, while I can comfortably declare with relative certainty that 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 was among the MS tradition in A.D. 200, it seems reasonable to push this tradition back at least into the late second century, or even earlier.

Although this early testimony of P46does not prove the passage in question to be originally Pauline, Vaganay notes as a general principle: “It would be right to be wary of a variant which does not emerge until the fifteenth or sixteenth century, for example, and to pay more attention to a variant in a papyrus from around AD 200.”²¹ This principle of textual criticism speaks even louder against variants that have no Greek textual evidence, either early or late.

As it stands, the abiding theory of interpolation at 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 depends strictly on intrinsic evidence, “the most subjective element in the methodology of textual criticism.”²² The subjectivism of the evaluation of intrinsic evidence is highlighted when one encounters the variety of opinions regarding which of the verses in 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 are authentic and which are interpolations.²³ Of course, disagreement among scholars does not prove any or all of the hypotheses false, but the critic ought to tread even more cautiously when he realizes that the “most subjective” among the elements of evidence in a problem like 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 is the element upon which the entire argument depends.²⁴ In spite of the bold but tenuous assertions to the contrary,²⁵ the burden of proof still lies with the proponent of an interpolation hypothesis in 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16.

Nevertheless, the jury is admittedly still out. By this article I have briefly reopened the case to admit additional evidence from the testimony of P46—a witness heretofore silent. I remind interpolation advocates of the precariousness of a hypothesis that rests strictly on internal evidences against all other considerations. However, while the arguments from external evidence have been strengthened by this study, a final verdict on the authenticity of 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 patiently awaits the discovery of another even earlier MS of 1 Thessalonians, and hopefully one made out of stronger stuff than that crumbly P46!

Appendix:
A Reconstruction Of The Lost Leaves Of P46

This reconstruction of the lost leaves of P46 highlights the characters from the extant fragments of 1 Thessalonians in bold bracketed characters, beginning the reconstruction with line 13 of fol. 94r. Since I was only interested in the approximate amount of space the characters would have taken and not in the content itself, I did not re-organized the reconstruction to conform to the extant text as it appears in the fragments. Also, in order to maintain a consistent average of characters per line, I have had to divide words unnaturally.

The number on the left is the line number (1–30 lines per page). The number on the right indicates the number of characters in that particular line, averaging 35.4 characters per line. The first two lines (13 and 14) of fol. 94r are reconstructed as they would have appeared in the original MS and the hypothetical reproduction itself begins on line 15.

[middle of fol. 94r]

13	πα[υλοςκαισ]ιλουανοςκαιτιμοθεοςτηεκκλησια
14	θε[σσαλονεικε]ωνενθωπρικαικωιηυχρωχαρις
15	υ[μεινκαιειρ]ηνηευχαριστουμεντωθωπαντ	35
16	οτεπεριπαντωνυμωνμνειανποιουμενοιεπ	35
17	ιτωνπροσευχωνημωναδιαλειπτωςμνημονε	35
18	υοντεςυμωντουεργουτηςπιστεωςκαιτουκ	35
19	οπουτηςαγαπηςκαιτηςυπομονηςτηςελπιδος	37
20	τουκυημωνιηυχρυεμπροσθεντουθυκαιπρς	35
21	ημωνειδοτεςαδελφοιηγαπημενοιυποτουθ	35
22	υτηνεκλογηνυμωνοτιτοευαγγελιονημωνο	35
23	υκεγενηθηειςυμαςενλογωμονοναλλακαιε	35
24	νδυναμεικαιενπνιαγιωκαιενπληροφοριαπο	37
25	λληκαθωςοιδατεοιοιεγενηθημενενυμειν	35
26	διυμαςκαιυμειςμιμηταιημωνεγενηθητεκ	35
27	αιτουκυδεξαμενοιτονλογονενθλιψειπολ	35
28	λημεταχαραςπνςαγιουωστεγενεσθαιυμας	35
29	τυπονπασιντοιςπιστευουσινεντημακεδονι	37
30	ακαιεντηαχαιααφυμωνγαρεξηχηταιολογο	35

[bottom of fol. 94r]

[top of fol. 94v]

1	ςτουκυουμονονεντημακεδονιακαιεντηαχ	35
2	αιααλλενπαντιτοπωηπιστιςυμωνηπροςτο	35
3	νθνεξεληλυθενωστεμηχρειανεχεινημαςλ	35
4	αλειντιαυτοιγαρπεριημωναπαγγελλουσινο	37
5	ποιανεισοδονεσχομενπροςυμαςκαιπωςεπ	35
6	εστρεψατεπροςτονθναποτωνειδωλωνδουλ	35
7	ευεινθωζωντικαιαληθινωκαιαναμενειντ	35
8	ονυιναυτουεκτωνουρανωνονηγειρενεκτω	35
9	ννεκρωνιηντονρυομενονημαςεκτηςοργηςτη	37
10	ςερχομενηςαυτοιγαροιδατεαδελφοιτηνε	35
11	ισοδονημωντηνπροςυμαςοτιουκενηγεγον	35
12	εναλλαπροπαθοντεςκαιυβρισθεντεςκαθω	35
13	ςοιδατεενφιλιπποιςεπαρρησιασαμεθαεν	35
14	τωθωημωνλαλησαιπροςυμαςτοευαγγελιοντο	37
15	υθυενπολλωαγωνιηγαρπαρακλησιςημωνου	35
16	κεκπλανηςουδεεξακαθαρσιαςουδεενδολω	35
17	αλλακαθωςδεδοκιμασμεθαυποτουθυπιστε	35
18	υθηναιτοευαγγελιονουτωςλαλουμενουχω	35
19	ςανοιςαρεσκοντεςαλλαθωτωδοκιμαζοντιτα	37
20	ςκαρδιαςημωνουτεγαρποτεενλογωκολακε	35
21	ιαςεγενηθημενκαθωςοιδατεουτεενπροφα	35
22	σειπλεονεξιαςθςμαρτυςουτεζητουντεςε	35
23	ξανωνδοξανουτεαφυμωνουτεαπαλλωννυνα	35
24	μενοιενβαρειειναιωςχρυαποστολοιαλλαεγ	37
25	ενηθημεννηπιοιενμεσωυμωνωςεαντροφος	35
26	θαλπηταεαυτηςτεκναουτωςομειρομενοιυ	35
27	μωνευδοκουμενμεταδουναιυμεινουμονον	35
28	τοευαγγελιοντουθυαλλακαιταςεαυτωνψυ	35
29	χαςδιοτιαγαπητοιημινεγενηθητεμνημονευ	37
30	ετεγαραδελφοιτονκοπονημωνκαιτονμοχθ	35

[bottom of fol. 94v]

[top of fol. 95r]

1	οννυκτοςκαιημεραςεργαζομενοιπροςτομ	35
2	ηεπιβαρησαιτιναυμωνεκηρυξαμενειςυμα	35
3	ςτοευαγγελιοντουθυυμειςμαρτυρεςκαιο	35
4	θςωςοσιωςκαιδικαιωςκαιαμεμπτωςυμειντο	37
5	ιςπιστευουσινεγενηθημενκαθαπεροιδατ	35
6	εωςεναεκαστονυμωνωςπατηρτεκναεαυτου	35
7	παρακαλουντεςυμαςκαιπαραμυθουμενοικ	35
8	αιμαρτυρομενοιειςτοπεριπατεινυμαςαξ	35
9	ιωςτουθυτουκαλουντοςυμαςειςτηνεαυτουβ	37
10	ασιλειανκαιδοξανκαιδιατουτοκαιημεις	35
11	ευχαριστουμεντωθωαδιαλειπτωςοτιπαρα	35
12	λαβοντεςλογονακοηςπαρημωντουθυεδεξα	35
13	σθεουλογονανωναλλακαθωςεστιναληθωςλ	35
14	ογονθυοςκαιενεργειταιενυμειντοιςπιστε	37
15	υουσινυμειςγαρμιμηταιεγενηθητεαδελφ	35
16	οιτωνεκκλησιωντουθυτωνουσωνεντηιουδ	35
17	αιαενχρωιηυοτιτααυταεπαθετεκαιυμεις	35
18	υποτωνιδιωνσυμφυλετωνκαθωςκαιαυτοιυ	35
19	ποτωνιουδαιωντωνκαιτονκναποκτειναντων	37
20	ιηνκαιτουςπροφηταςκαιημαςεκδιωξαντω	35
21	νκαιθωμηαρεσκοντωνκαιπασινανοιςεναν	35
22	τιωνκωλυοντωνημαςτοιςεθνεσινλαλησαι	35
23	ινασωθωσινειςτοαναπληρωσαιαυτωνταςα	35
24	μαρτιαςπαντοτεεφθασενδεεπαυτουςηοργηε	37
25	ιςτελοςημειςδεαδελφοιαπορφανισθεντε	35
26	ςαφυμωνπροςκαιρονωραςπροσωπωουκαρδι	35
27	απερισσοτερωςεσπουδασαμεντοπροσωπον	35
28	υμωνιδεινενπολληεπιθυμιαδιοτιηθελησ	35
29	αμενελθεινπροςυμαςεγωμενπαυλοςκαιαπαξ	37
30	καιδιςκαιενεκοψενημαςοσαταναςτιςγαρ	35

[bottom of fol. 95r]

[top of fol. 95v]

1	ημωνελπιςηχαραηστεφανοςκαυχησεωςηου	35
2	χικαιυμειςεμπροσθεντουκυημωνιηυεντη	35
3	αυτουπαρουσιαυμειςγαρεστεηδοξαημωνκ	35
4	αιηχαραδιομηκετιστεγοντεςευδοκησαμενκ	37
5	αταλειφθηναιεναθηναιςμονοικαιεπεμψα	35
6	μεντιμοθεοντοναδελφονημωνκαισυνεργο	35
7	ντουθυεντωευαγγελιωτουχρυειςτοστηρι	35
8	ξαιυμαςκαιπαρακαλεσαιυπερτηςπιστεως	35
9	υμωντομηδενασαινεσθαιενταιςθλιψεσιντα	37
10	υταιςαυτοιγαροιδατεοτιειςτουτοκειμε	35
11	θακαιγαροτεπροςυμαςημενπροελεγομενυ	35
12	μινοτιμελλομενθλιβεσθαικαθωςκαιεγεν	35
13	ετοκαιοιδατεδιατουτοκαγωμηκετιστεγω	35
14	νεπεμψαειςτογνωναιτηνπιστινυμωνμηπωςε	37
15	πειρασενυμαςοπειραζωνκαιειςκενονγεν	35
16	ηταιοκοποςημωναρτιδεελθοντοςτιμοθεο	35
17	υπροςημαςαφυμωνκαιευαγγελισαμενουημ	35
18	ιντηνπιστινκαιτηναγαπηνυμωνκαιοτιεχ	35
19	ετεμνειανημωναγαθηνπαντοτεεπιποθουντε	37
20	ςημαςιδεινκαθαπερκαιημειςυμαςδιατου	35
21	τοπαρεκληθημεναδελφοιεφυμινεπιπασητ	35
22	ηαναγκηκαιθλιψειημωνδιατηςυμωνπιστε	35
23	ωςοτινυνζωμενεανυμειςστηκετεενκωτιν	35
24	αγαρευχαριστιανδυναμεθατωθωανταποδουν	37
25	αιπεριυμωνεπιπασητηχαραηχαιρομενδιυ	35
26	μαςεμπροσθεντουθυημωννυκτοςκαιημερα	35
27	ςυπερεκπερισσουδεομενοιειςτοιδεινυμ	35
28	ωντοπροσωπονκαικαταρτισαιταυστερημα	35
29	τατηςπιστεωςυμωναυτοςδεοθςκαιπρημωνκα	37
30	ιοκςημωνιηςκατευθυναιτηνοδονημωνπρο	35

[bottom of fol. 95v]

[top of fol. 96r]

1	ςυμαςυμαςδεοκςπλεονασαικαιπερισσευσ	35
2	αιτηαγαπηειςαλληλουςκαιειςπανταςκαθ	35
3	απερκαιημειςειςυμαςειςτοστηριξαιυμω	35
4	νταςκαρδιαςαμεμπτουςεναγιωσυνηεμπροσθ	37
5	εντουθυκαιπρςημωνεντηπαρουσιατουκυη	35
6	μωνιηυμεταπαντωντωναγιωναυτουαμηνλο	35
7	ιπονουναδελφοιερωτωμενυμαςκαιπαρακα	35
8	λουμενενκωιηυινακαθωςπαρελαβετεπαρη	35
9	μωντοπωςδειυμαςπεριπατεινκαιαρεσκεινθ	37
10	ωκαθωςκαιπεριπατειτειναπερισσευητεμ	35
11	αλλονοιδατεγαρτιναςπαραγγελιαςεδωκα	35
12	μενυμινδιατουκυιηυτουτογαρεστινθελη	35
13	ματουθυοαγιασμοςυμωναπεχεσθαιυμαςαπ	35
14	οτηςπορνειαςειδεναιεκαστονυμωντοεαυτο	37
15	υσκευοςκτασθαιεναγιασμωκαιτιμημηενπ	35
16	αθειεπιθυμιαςκαθαπερκαιταεθνηταμηει	35
17	δοτατονθντομηυπερβαινεινκαιπλεονεκτ	35
18	εινεντωπραγματιτοναδελφοναυτουδιοτι	35
19	εκδικοςκςπεριπαντωντουτωνκαθωςκαιπροε	37
20	ιπαμενυμινκαιδιεμαρτυραμεθαουγαρεκα	35
21	λεσενημαςοθςεπιακαθαρσιααλλεναγιασμ	35
22	ωτοιγαρουνοαθετωνουκανοναθετειαλλατ	35
23	ονθντονκαιδιδοντατοπνααυτουτοαγιονε	35
24	ιςυμαςπεριδετηςφιλαδελφιαςουχρειανεχε	37
25	τεγραφεινυμιναυτοιγαρυμειςθεοδιδακτ	35
26	οιεστεειςτοαγαπαναλληλουςκαιγαρποιε	35
27	ιτεαυτοειςπανταςτουςαδελφουςτουςενο	35
28	λητημακεδονιαπαρακαλουμενδευμαςαδελ	35
29	φοιπερισσευεινμαλλονκαιφιλοτιμεισθαιη	37
30	συχαζεινκαιπρασσεινταιδιακαιεργαζεσ	35

[bottom of fol. 96r]

[top of fol. 96v]

1	θαιταιςιδιαιςχερσινυμωνκαθωςυμινπαρ	35
2	ηγγειλαμενιναπεριπατητεευσχημονωςπρ	35
3	οςτουςεξωκαιμηδενοςχρειανεχητεουθελ	35
4	ομενδευμαςαγνοειναδελφοιπεριτωνκοιμωμ	37
5	ενωνιναμηλυπησθεκαθωςκαιοιλοιποιοιμ	35
6	ηεχοντεςελπιδαειγαρπιστευομενοτιιης	35
7	απεθανενκαιανεστηουτωςκαιοθςτουςκοι	35
8	μηθενταςδιατουιηυαξεισυναυτωτουτογα	35
9	ρυμινλεγομενενλογωκυοτιημειςοιζωντεςο	37
10	ιπεριλειπομενοιειςτηνπαρουσιαντουκυ	35
11	ουμηφθασωμεντουςκοιμηθενταςοτιαυτος	35
12	οκςενκελευσματιενφωνηαρχαγγελουκαιε	35
13	νσαλπιγγιθυκαταβησεταιαπουρανουκαιο	35
14	ινεκροιενχρωαναστησονταιπρωτονεπειταη	37
15	μειςοιζωντεςοιπεριλειπομενοιαμασυνα	35
16	υτοιςαρπαγησομεθαεννεφελαιςειςαπαντ	35
17	ησιντουκυειςαερακαιουτωςπαντοτεσυνκ	35
18	ωεσομεθαωστεπαρακαλειτεαλληλουςεντο	35
19	ιςλογοιςτουτοιςπεριδετωνχρονωνκαιτωνκ	37
20	αιρωναδελφοιουχρειανεχετευμινγραφεσ	35
21	θαιαυτοιγαρακριβωςοιδατεοτιημερακυω	35
22	ςκλεπτηςεννυκτιουτωςερχεταιοτανλεγω	35
23	σινειρηνηκαιασφαλειατοτεαιφνιδιοςαυ	35
24	τοιςεφισταταιολεθροςωσπερηωδιντηενγασ	37
25	τριεχουσηκαιουμηεκφυγωσινυμειςδεαδε	35
26	λφοιουκεστεενσκοτειιναηημεραυμαςωςκ	35
27	Λεπτηςκαταλαβη[παν]τεςγαρυμειςυιοιφωτ	35
28	οςεστεκαιυιοιημερας[ουκεσμεν]νυκτοςου	35
29	δεσκοτουςαραουνμηκαθευ[δωμενω]ςοιλοιποι	37
30	αλλαγρηγορωμενκαινη[φωμενο]ιγαρκαθευδ	35

[bottom of fol. 96v]

¹For some early scholars, the interpolation is limited to 1 Thessalonians 2:16c (James Moffatt, An Introduction to the Literature of the New Testament [New York: Charles Scribner, 1911], 74; Albrecht Ritschl, Die christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung, 2d ed., 3 vols. [Bonn: Adolph Marcus, 1882], 2:142–144). Some thought the interpolation included 2:15–16 (Paul W. Schmiedel, Die Briefe an die Thessalonicher und an die Korinther, HKNT 2 [Freiburg: Mohr, 1891], 17). Others believed the addition extended from 2:14–16 (S. G. F. Brandon, The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church: A Study of the Effects of the Jewish Overthrow of A.D. 70 on Christianity [London: SPCK, 1957], 92–93; Heinrich Holtzmann, Praktische Erklärung des I. Thessalonicherbriefes [Tübingen: Mohr, 1911], 74–79; Burton L. Mack, Who Wrote the New Testament? The Making of the Christian Myth [San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995], 113). Still others extend the interpolation to include the whole of 2:13–16 (Helmut Koester, Introduction to the New Testament, vol. 2, History and Literature of Early Christianity, 2d ed. [New York: De Gruyter, 2000], 119; Birger A. Pearson, “1 Thessalonians 2:13–16: A Deutero-Pauline Interpolation,” HTR 64 [1971]: 70-94; Daryl Schmidt, “1 Thess. 2:13–16: Linguistic Evidence for an Interpolation,” JBL 102 [1983]: 269–79). Also see Hendrikus Boers, “The Form-Critical Study of Paul’s Letters: I Thessalonians as a Case Study,” NTS 22 (1976): 140–58. One writer even regards all of 1 Thessalonians 2 as a post-Pauline addition (Alfred F. Loisy, Remarques sur la litérature épistolaire du Nouveau Testament [Paris: Nourry, 1935], 85–87).

² The most problematic phrase in 2:16c (ἔφθασεν δὲ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος) is found in all extant Greek MSS and missing only in a few individual Latin MSS (see n. in NA27). Yet even these latter Latin omissions may have themselves been critical emendations attempting to solve a problem in a text believed by copyists to have been written prior to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, just as critical scholars today have deemed the phrase an interpolation for similar reasons.

³ Pearson, “1 Thessalonians 2:13–16,” 81.

⁴ Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d ed.; Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 452. Metzger suggests the variant at Romans 5:1 could have actually originated at the pen of Tertius when he confused the like-sounding ἔχωμεν for ἔχομεν. This error would have been corrected by Paul or Tertius, but future copyists of the MS would not have known which version was original. The result would be a difficult variant in which the external evidence is strong for both. If this reconstruction seems possible, how much more ought we expect a hypothetical original version of 1 Thessalonians without 2:13–16 to survive in the MS tradition, notwithstanding the scribal tendency to prefer the fuller text.

⁵ This article will use standard abbreviations for citing pages and fragments of P46. The abbreviation fol. (folio, “leaf”) indicates the single leaf of a manuscript. Each leaf (front and back) is numbered, and folio numbers are assigned even to missing pages. Each leaf has a front, right-hand side (recto, abbreviated r) and a back, left-hand side (verso, abbreviated v). Thus, the citation “fol. 94v” refers to the back of folio 94.

⁶ Although I have thoroughly examined photograph reproductions of P46 throughout the course of this study, the reader is referred to Barbara Aland and Kurt Aland, The Text of the New Testament, 2d ed., trans. E. F. Rhodes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 99, for a general description of the MS and its contents.

⁷ Although the Textus Receptus may be helpful as a collating standard, it is more likely that P46, with its Alexandrian affinities, would have had a profile closer to NA27 than the Byzantine text represented in the TR (see J. H. Greenlee, Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, rev. ed. [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995], 118; Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 3d enl. ed. [New York: Oxford University Press, 1992], 38).

⁸ It cannot, of course, be assumed that the scribe used the same size characters consistently in every part of the MS. In fact, an examination of P46 reveals the opposite). Kenyon noted, “The length of the line . . . tends to become greater in the latter part of the MS” (Frederic G. Kenyon, ed., The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri: Descriptions and Texts of Twelve Manuscripts on Papyrus of the Greek Bible; Fascicules III Supplement, Pauline Epistles: Text [London: Walker, 1936], ix). Therefore, an average number of characters per line obtained from 1 Thessalonians itself or the end of Colossians will be more accurate than an average from an earlier part of the MS.

⁹ Nomina sacra in P46 relevant to our examination of 1 Thessalonians include the standard abbreviations for θεός, κύριος, ᾿Ιησοῦ'ς, Χριστός, υἱός, πατήρ, and πνεῦμα (Kenyon, Chester Beatty Papyri, xiii–xiv; cf. Metzger, Text of the New Testament, 13–14).

¹⁰ Kenyon noted, “In general the odd-numbered pages (the lines of which run towards the inner margin) have shorter lines than the even-numbered pages, so as to keep clear of the binding center” (Kenyon, Chester Beatty Papyri, ix). This consideration need not be factored into our calculation of the average characters per line since our sampling consists of roughly half a page from the recto and half from the verso sides of the leaf fragment, thus automatically rendering an approximate average.

¹¹ My method in determining this was rather crude, but effective. I copied and pasted together the two sides of the MS from Kenyon’s plates then simply pushed a pin through the first whole letter on the bottom of the fragment to see through which letter on the opposite side the pin passed. (I would strongly discourage you from repeating this method on the real P46 or even a quality facsimile.)

¹² This is naturally an estimate since there is no way to estimate how many variants existed in the missing text of fol. 94. However, this seems to be the most objective standard for generating the closest possible numbers with which to work.

¹³ Kenyon, Chester Beatty Papyri, ix.

¹⁴ The bracketed line numbers indicate that the text is either partially or entirely corrupted in the actual MS.

¹⁵ There is a space of approximately 1.25 inches between the end of Colossians and the first line of 1 Thessalonians (not counting the title, which is not included here). This equals a space of four lines.

¹⁶ Ironically, had there been one more fraction of an inch missing from the top of this fragment, it would have been impossible to determine that the text began at the top of the leaf.

¹⁷ To achieve an average of 35.4 characters per line in the reconstruction, and to keep the reconstruction as precise as possible, I broke the characters into sets of four lines of 35 characters followed by one line of 37 characters. Since words are broken at unnatural places to achieve this average, I removed all spaces between words in the lines of text to avoid confusion.

¹⁸ Aland and Aland, Text of the New Testament, 99.

¹⁹ See Günther Zuntz, The Text of the Epistles: A Disquisition upon the Corpus Paulinum (London: British Academy, 1953), 212–13.

²⁰ The MS is not characterized by wild or creative variants and singular readings. Although it has a relatively high number of omissions, most of these are accidental (James R. Royse, “Scribal Tendencies in the Transmission of the Text of the New Testament,” in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, ed. Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes, SD 46 [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995], 246).

²¹ Léon B. Vaganay, An Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, 2d ed., trans. Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, rev. by Christian-Bernard Amphoux (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 63.

²² Gordon D. Fee, “Textual Criticism in the New Testament,” in Studies in the Theory and Method of New Testament Textual Criticism, ed. I. A. Sparks, SD 45 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 14.

²³ See n. 1, above.

²⁴ All other internal evidence considered, perhaps the most obvious problem which seems to be unconvincing to interpolation theorists is this: if 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 is a post-70 interpolation, the interpolator made an incredible blunder at 16c which neither he nor subsequent copyists challenged or corrected. In making the judgment of the Jews an event of the past (ἔφθασεν δὲ ἐπ ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος), the alleged editor revealed to both his contemporary and prospective readers that the passage was not, in fact, Pauline. It seems reasonable that editors who would like their readers to believe their new passages to be authentic would take the care needed to make such passages believable. To do this, the supposed editor of 1 Thessalonians 2 could have used a future form instead of an aorist, making it appear that the judgment on the Jews in 2:16 was prophecy from Paul’s perspective, not history.

²⁵ See William O. Walker, Jr., “The Burden of Proof in Identifying Interpolations in the Pauline Letters,” NTS 33 (1987): 610–618.

An Argument Of First Thessalonians

Related Media

Message Statement:

The Missionary Team Of Paul, Silvanus, And Timothy Urge The Thessalonians On The Basis Of Their Former Walk Of Faith, And God’s Faithfulness To Them To Endure Persecution With A Vital Love For One Another And For God

I. Introduction: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy open their letter to the Thessalonians affirming their position in God, and praying for God’s grace and peace in their lives 1:1

A. Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy are those who send the letter (“the team”, henceforth) 1:1a

B. The team has sent the letter to the Thessalonians who are in relationship with the Father and Son, praying for their experience of grace and peace 1:1b-d

1. The letter is sent to the Thessalonians 1:1b

2. The Thessalonians are in a relationship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 1:1c

3. The team prays for the Thessalonians to experience grace and peace 1:1d

II. The Paste Work of Faith*Encouragement in their Faith: Paul reminds the Thessalonians of their walk of faith with God and his ministry with them in order to defend the Gospel he taught them and in order to encourage them to persevere despite persecution 1:2--3:13

A. Thanksgiving for the Effect of the Gospel: The missionary team constantly thank God for the Thessalonians through prayer as they remember the perseverance of the Thessalonians, and the evidences of their election 1:2-10

1. Thanks Through Prayer: The team constantly gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians by praying for them 1:2

2. Thanks Remembering Perseverance: The team gives thanksgiving to God as they remember the persevering nature of the believing Thessalonians 1:3

a. Work of Faith: In their thanksgiving the team constantly remembers the Thessalonians’ work of faith 1:3a

b. Labor of Love: In their thanksgiving the team constantly remembers the Thessalonians’ work of love 1:3b

c. Hope of Tomorrow: In their thanksgiving the team constantly remembers the Thessalonians’ steady hope in the Lord Jesus who is presently with the Father 1:3c

3. Thanks Because Of Evident Election: The team gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians because they know of God’s election of them through the divinely enabled presentation of the Gospel among them, and through their imitation of both the team and the Lord during persecution resulting in a witness to others throughout Macedonia, Achaia, and beyond 1:5-10

a. Election: The team gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians because they know of God’s election of them through the divinely enabled presentation of the Gospel among them 1:4-5

1) Chosen: The team gives thanks to God knowing that the Thessalonians are chosen of God 1:4

2) Power of Gospel: The reason the team knows of the election of the Thessalonians is because their Gospel came to the Thessalonians in more than empty words, but in power from God through them 1:5

b. Imitation: The team gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians because they know of God’s election of them through their imitation of both the team and the Lord during persecution resulting in a witness to others throughout Macedonia, Achaia, and beyond 1:6-10

1) Imitators of the Team: The Thessalonians became imitators of the team and of the Lord 1:6a

2) Imitators of the Lord: The Thessalonians imitated the team and the Lord by willfully, and under divine enablement experiencing persecution for receiving the word of the Gospel 1:6b

3) Examples: The result of being imitators of the suffering team and the Lord was that the Thessalonians became examples to other believers in Macedonia and Achaia 1:7

4) Thanks Because of the Spread of the Gospel: The team gives thanks to God for the Thessalonians because they know of God’s election of them through their spread of the gospel to other peoples 1:8-10

a) Missionary Church: The Thessalonians have been a missionary church not only to Macedonia and Achaia, but beyond so as to precede the team’s appearance 1:8

b) Reports from Others: The reason the team speaks of the missionary nature of the Thessalonians is because when they go to a new people, they hear back from this new people reports about God’s work in Thessalonica 1:9-10

(1) Team Hears of Ministry: The reason the team speaks of the missionary nature of the Thessalonians is because the team hears back about their ministry among the Thessalonians from those they go to 1:9a

(2) Repentance from Idolatry: The team specifically hears back about the Thessalonians' repentance from idolatry to serve the living and true God 1:9b

(3) Expectation of Christ's Return: The team specifically hears back about the Thessalonians' expectation of the return of the risen Christ to deliver them from the coming judgment of the wicked (the tribulation) 1:10

B. The Proclaimers of the Gospel: In view of what the Thessalonians are themselves proclaiming about the missionary team (1:9), they are reminded that the team spoke with a bold witness in spite of persecution, and that their motives in that presentation were good, as parents desiring the best for their children 2:1-12

1. Their Bold Witness: Picking up on what the Thessalonians proclaim about the team’s effect upon them (1:9, cf. 2:1 “γὰρ”), the missionary team reminds the Thessalonians of the effectiveness of their bold presentation of the gospel despite persecution 2:1-2

a. Not Without Result: The Thessalonians know that the coming of the missionary team was not without result 2:1

b. Bold Witness: The missionary team boldly witnessed to the Thessalonians in spite of past persecution in Philippi (Acts 16:19-40), and present resistance (by the Jews; cf. Acts 17:5) in Thessalonica 2:2

2. Their Pure Motives: The missionary team’s motives in appealing to the Thessalonians are not hurtful, but God pleasing just as their past conduct among the Thessalonians was to enable them, much like parents, toward a better walk with God 2:3-12

a. Not Covert Motives: The missionary team’s appeal to the Thessalonians does not come from covert motives of error, impurity, or trickery 2:3

b. Seeking to Please God: The missionary team appeals to the Thessalonians as those approved by God seeking to please God, rather than men 2:4

c. Support: Paul supports his affirmations about the missionary team’s good motives by their conduct among the Thessalonians as loving parents rather than self-serving tricksters 2:5-9

1) Negatively: As the Thessalonians and God both know, the missionary team did not come with speech which flattered men, or so that they might materially gain from them, or so that they might receive honor from anyone even though they had that right as sent ones of Christ 2:5-6

2) Positively: The Thessalonians know that the missionary team came to them as loving parents with the gospel and themselves so as to encourage them toward an appropriate walk with God 2:7-12

a) As a Gentile Mother: The missionary team was gentile among the Thessalonians as a mother who would care for her children 2:7

b) Giving of Lives: The missionary team’s affection for the Thessalonians was so great that they not only wished to give them the gospel, but they were willing to give of their innermost selves (ἐαυτῶν ψυζάς) for them 2:8-9

c) Integrity: The Thessalonians are witnesses that the missionary team acted in integrity before them only speaking to them so as to encourage them to walk in a more acceptable manner as of the God who called them 2:10-12

(1) Upright Behavior: The Thessalonians are witnesses of the missionary team's holy, upright, and unreproachable behavior towards them 2:10

(2) As a Father: The missionary team acted like a father toward children encouraging, comforting, and urging the Thessalonians 2:11

(3) Improve Their Walk: The purpose of the missionary team was to raise the Thessalonians' walk to a level which was worthy (ἀξίως) of God's high calling of the Thessalonians into the Kingdom and greatness 2:12

C. The Effect of the Gospel: The missionary team affirms the effect of the Gospel upon the Thessalonians in that they not only accepted it, but it has worked in them by enabling them to endure the persecution of the Jews 2:13-16

1. Thanks for Reception of Word: The missionary team thanks God for the way in which the Thessalonians received their gospel as God’s word which works within them 2:13

2. Endured Persecution: The reason Paul affirms that the Thessalonians received God’s word which works in them is because they, just like the Judean church, they have endured persecution from the Jews who are increasing their sin toward judgment 2:14-16

a. Endured Like Judean Church: The reason God’s word is seen to be working in the Thessalonians is because they have endured persecution like the churches of Judea 2:14a

b. Reason*Persecution from Jews: The reason Paul compares the Thessalonians with the churches of Judea is because they have endured persecution from the Jews just as they persecuted Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles being unpleasing to God as they heap sin upon sin for judgment 2:14b-16

1) Similar Persecution: The reason Paul compares the Thessalonians with the churches of Judea is because they have endured similar persecution from the Jews 2:14b

2) History of Persecution: The Jews not only persecuted the Judean churches but also killed Jesus and the prophets, and drove the apostles out of Jerusalem 2:15a

3) Sin towards Judgment: The persecuting Jews are not pleasing to God, but are increasing their sin toward judgment as they hinder the missionary team from speaking the gospel to the Gentiles 2:15b-16

D. The Concern and Confirmation of the Missionary Team: Being unable to come as a team to the Thessalonians because of Satan’s hindering of them, the missionary team sent Timothy to them to aid their thinking about the persecution, and were encouraged when he returned with good news about their spiritual state and about their love for them all 2:17--3:10

1. Their Concern: The missionary team wished to come to the Thessalonians more than once because they valued them so highly, but Satan held them, especially Paul, back 2:17-20

a. Eager to Come: The missionary team has missed the Thessalonians and was eager to come to them again 2:17

b. Held Back by Satan: The missionary team wanted to come, especially Paul more than once, but was held back by the working of Satan 2:18

c. Importance of Thessalonians: The reason the missionary team wanted to come to the Thessalonians was because they are the most important part of life to them for which God will one day honor them 2:19-20

2. Their Confirmation: Out of concern for the state of the Thessalonians after the persecution, Timothy was sent to them, and returned with a good report that greatly encouraged the missionary team about the continuance of their work in Thessalonica 3:1-10

a. The Sending of Timothy: Out of concern for the Thessalonians, Paul sent Timothy in order to encourage them about the persecution, and in order to learn about the state of their faith because of the persecution 3:1-5

1) Decision to Send Timothy: When the missionary team could endure their separation from the Thessalonians no longer, they decided to send Timothy from where they were in Athens in order to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith 3:1-2

2) Purpose in Sending Timothy: The purpose behind the sending of Timothy was so that the Thessalonians would not loose their balance (go back and forth, τὸ σαίνεσθαι) due to the persecutions 3:3a

3) Design of Suffering: The reason the Thessalonians were not to loose their spiritual balance was because they understood that this was part of God’s design for the missionary team (Acts 9:15-16) just as they said it would come to pass 3:3-4

4) Risk of Satan: Because of the risk that Satan could have upset the faith of the Thessalonians through the persecutions, Paul sent Timothy to find out about their welfare 3:5

b. The Report from Timothy: When Timothy returned with a good report concerning the spiritual state of the Thessalonians, and about their love for the missionary team, the team was very encouraged, and could not thank God enough 3:6-10

1) Timothy’s Return with Good News: Timothy returned with good news about the spiritual state of the Thessalonians, and about their love for the missionary team 3:6

2) Comfort for Team: Because of the good report from Timothy about the Thessalonians, the missionary team was comforted in the midst of their continuing persecution because their work among the Thessalonians lives on 3:7-8

3) Thanks to God: The missionary team can hardly thank God enough for His good work among them when they were not able to return to complete their work 3:9-10

E. Prayer for the Thessalonians’ Endurance: The missionary team prays that God might grant them the ability to come to the Thessalonians, but also that God would increase their love for men so that they might not sin due to the persecution, but receive reward for holy living when Jesus returns 3:11-13

1. Enablement to Return: The missionary team prays that God the Father and Son may enable the missionary team to come to the Thessalonians 3:11

2. Increase in Love: The missionary team prays that the Thessalonians may increase to an overflowing state in their love for each other and all men just as the missionary team loves them 3:12

3. Reason for The Prayer*Reward: reason the missionary team prays that the Thessalonians would abound in love is so that they will be honored by the Lord at His coming for them (at the rapture with the dead saints to receive their bodies; cf. 4:14), rather than lose it (due to sinful responses to persecution) 3:13

III. The Present*Exhortations to Live Their Faith: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to exceed in their sanctification, have a patient hope for the future, remain spiritually alert, honor their leaders, and to keep a vital walk with God knowing that God will enable them 4:1--5:24

A. With Respect to Love: Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to exceed in what he taught them in order that they might be sanctified in their relationship with God and love men 4:1-12

1. Concerning Their Love for God: Beginning the final section of the letter, the missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to continue in their walk with God by abstaining from all sexual immorality by controlling their bodies because this is a sin against God 4:1-8

a. Introduction: Paul introduces the final, paraenetic division of this letter with the phrase, “Finally then” (Λοιπὸν οὖν); cf. Phil. 3:1) 4:1a

b. Excel Even More: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to excel even more in their God-pleasing Christian life (walk) 4:1b

c. Reminder of Commandments: The missionary team reminds the Thessalonians of the commandments which they gave to them in accordance with God’s will for their sanctification (ἁγιασμὸς) unto God which include abstaining from all sexual immorality 4:2-6

1) Sanctification: The missionary team gave the Thessalonians commandments from the Lord for their sanctification 4:2-3a

2) Abstain from Sexual Immorality: The commandments which the missionary team gave to the Thessalonians were that they should abstain from sexual immorality with temple prostitutes, or through adultery by controlling their own bodies because God will avenge these things 4:3b-6

a) Generally: The Thessalonians are warned to abstain from sexual immorality (προνείας) 4:3b

b) Specifically (Love God): Each one of the Thessalonians should know how to gain control of (κτᾶσθαι) his own body (ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος, cf. 2 Cor. 4:7; 1 Pet. 3:7) in a way which is holy (ἁγιασμῷ; cf. 4:3), and honorable (Τιμῇ; cf. 1 Cor. 6:20; Rom. 1:24), rather than in lustful passions as the Gentiles do (perhaps through temple prostitution) 4:4-5

c) Specifically (Love Your Neighbor): The Thessalonians were instructed to abstain from sexual immorality through adultery with one’s neighbor because the Lord will avenge these things 4:6

d. Reason for God’s Calling: The reason the Thessalonians should abstain from sexual immorality is because God has not called them to be impure, but to be set apart (ἁγιασμῷ) to Him 4:7

e. Rejection of Teaching: Therefore (τοιγαροῦν, emphatic), the missionary team affirms that to reject this teaching about immorality is not to reject man, but to reject God who gives the Holy Spirit to you (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9; it is a sin against God!) 4:8

2. Concerning (περὶ δὲ) their Love for the Brethren: Even though the Thessalonians already know the instruction from the Lord and are practicing brotherly love toward all in Macedonia, the missionary team exhorts them to excel even more in their brotherly love 4:9-10

a. Love for the Brethren: The missionary team now writes concerning (περὶ δὲ) love for the brethren (φιλαδελφίας) 4:9a

b. Already Taught: The missionary team does not consider this topic of brotherly love as necessary to write about since God has already taught them (through he commandments of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) to love one another 4:9b

c. Increase in Love: The missionary team acknowledges that the Thessalonians are already loving those in Macedonia, but urges them to increase in their brotherly love 4:10

3. Concerning their Love for the Lost: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to live in a moral and industrious way toward those outside of the community so that they might continue in their jobs 4:11-12

a. Live in a Peaceful Way: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to be energetic about living in a morally, and ethically peaceful way ¹ 4:11a

b. Continue at Work: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to continue at their work as they were commanded to 4:11b

c. Reason for Testimony: The reason the moral and industrial charges are given to the Thessalonians is so that they may conduct themselves well with those outside of the church and not be in need (because they had lost their jobs) 4:12

B. With Respect to the Future: Paul instructs the Thessalonians about the Future so that they might presently have a patient hope 4:13-18

1. The Resurrection of Sleeping Saints ²: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to not grieve over the dead as unbelievers do, but to be comforted by a revelation from the Lord that the dead in Christ will be raised first at the Lord’s return, and then the living church will be caught up together with them to meet and be with the Lord in the air 4:13-18

a. Resurrection of the Dead: The missionary team writes about the resurrection of sleeping (κοιμωμὲνων; cf. 1 Ki. 2:10) saints because they do not want the Thessalonians to be uninformed (ἀγνοωεῖν), and thus excessively grieving like unbelievers, about those believers who had died before the Lord returned 4:13

b. Assurance through Christ: The first reason Christians should not grieve as unbelievers is because Jesus’ death and resurrection is assurance that God will bring believing Christians who have died with Jesus when he returns 4:14

c. The second reason Christians should not grieve as unbelievers is because of a revelation which Paul (and the team?) received from the Lord about what will occur when the Lord returns 4:15-17

1) Word from the Lord: The missionary team has a word from the Lord about what will occur when the Lord returns 4:15a

2) Those Alive: Those who are alive and are on earth until the Lord comes (παρουσίαν) will not possibly (οὐ μὴ) precede those who have died 4:15b

3) First the Dead, Then the Living: The reason the living will not precede the dead in Christ is because (ὅτι) the Lord will descend with a significant life-quickening command, and the dead in Christ shall rise first (πρῶτον) and then (ἕπειτα) those who are alive and remain on earth will be caught up ³ together with the dead in Christ in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the air and to remain forever with the Lord 4:16-17

Reason: The reason the living will not precede the dead in Christ is because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a life-quickening command ⁴ 4:16

d. Exhortation To Comfort One Another: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to comfort one another about the dead with this immediately preceding revelation from the Lord Himself (cf. 4:15) 4:18

C. The Coming Day of the Lord: Knowing that the coming day of wrath is not designed for the Thessalonians, the missionary team urges them to be spiritually alert 5:1-11

1. There is a Coming Day of Wrath: Paul affirms that the Thessalonians already know that a future time of wrath will come in a hostile, unexpected way upon the sons of darkness, but the Thessalonians will not be included in that judgment because they are sons of light 5:1-5

a. New Topic: A new topic is addressed concerning (περὶ δὲ) the coming events (times and seasons) of which the Thessalonians have already been informed (cf. 4:9) 5:1

b. Wrath Like a Thief: The Thessalonians know well that the Day of the Lord (a time of judging wrath; cf. Acts 2:20; 2 Pet. 3:10; 2 Thess. 2:2) will come in a hostile, unexpected way (like a thief) 5:2

c. Support of Coming Wrath: Support that the coming wrath will be hostile and unexpected is given through the future image of people proclaiming a time of security (Dan. 9:27) when sudden, unavoidable destruction will inescapably come upon them (αὐτοῖς, not “you”) 5:3

d. Thessalonians Will Not Be Overtaken: In contrast to those who will be overtaken by the coming day of wrath, Paul affirms that the Thessalonians will not be overtaken by the day of wrath because they are sons of light rather than sons of night and darkness 5:4-5

1) Not in Darkness: In contrast (δέ) to “those” who will experience the coming Day of the Lord, Paul affirms that the Thessalonians are not in darkness to be overtaken by the Day 5:4

2) Sons of Day: The reason the Thessalonians will not be overtaken by the day is because they are sons of the day (God) rather than night and darkness 5:5

2. Application of the Day of the Lord to Readers: Paul now applies the doctrine of the Day of the Lord to the conduct his readers by urging them to encourage one another to be spiritually alert, unlike the children of darkness, because Jesus died to deliver them from wrath to salvation 5:6-11

a. Don’t Be Careless, Be Alert: In view of the above doctrine on the Day of the Lord Paul concludes (ἄρα οὗν) that the Thessalonians should not be careless about their lives (“sleep”) as those who are sons of the darkness do, but rather be alert and sober as those expecting the Lord’s coming 5:6

b. Reason for Being Alert*Christ’s Death: Paul urges the Thessalonians to be spiritually alert, unlike the unsuspecting sons of darkness, because Christ has died for them so that they might not be subject to wrath, but to salvation 5:7-10

1) Reason for Imagery of Sleep: The reason Paul used the imagery of sleeping is because those who are not of God (the sons of darkness) are not spiritually alert: they sleep, and are under the influence of alcohol at night 5:7

2) Be Sober: In contrast (δὲ) to those who are not spiritually alert, the Thessalonians are urged to be spiritually prepared (sober) by having their spiritual armor on: their faith in God who loves them, and their hope of future salvation from wrath 5:8

3) Not Destined for Wrath: The reason the Thessalonians should, and can be spiritually prepared is because of the fact that God has not destined Christians for wrath, but for Salvation through the death of Jesus Christ regardless of our spiritual preparedness 5:9-10

a) Reason: The reason (ὅτι) the Thessalonians should be spiritually prepared is because God has not destined Christians for wrath (εἰς ὀργὴν), but (ἀλλὰ) to obtain salvation 5:9a

b) Salvation through Christ: The salvation which God has destined Christians for it through (διὰ) the Lord Jesus Christ 5:9b

c) Death Is to Live: The death of the Lord Jesus Christ was in order that (ἵνα) all believers could live with Him whether they were spiritually alert or lethargic (“awake or asleep”, cf. 5:6-8) 5:10

c. Build Up One Another: As a consequence to the above discussion Paul urges the Thessalonians to build up (οἰκοδομεῖτε, encourage) one another 5:11

D. With Respect to the Church:⁵ The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to honor their leaders and keep their walk vital with God knowing that God will enable them in their sanctification 5:12-24

1. To the Congregation: The missionary team urges the congregation to not be a body in unrest, but to appreciate, highly esteem, and love their leaders because of their labor among them 5:12-13

a. Appreciate Church Leaders: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to appreciate the church leaders who labor among them, have charge over them, and instruct them 5:12

b. Hold Leaders in High Regard: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to hold the church leaders in the highest possible regard and to love them because of their work 5:13a-b

c. Be at Peace: The missionary team exhorts the congregation to be at peace among themselves (ἐν ἑαυτοῖς) [rather than anarchy] 5:13c

2. To the Congregation and It’s Leaders Concerning Personal Relationships: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to relate to one another, and to all men in sensitive love 5:14-15

a. Correct: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to correct (instruct) those who are loafing, and neglecting their daily duty (the disorderly) 5:14a

b. Encourage: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to comfort (encourage) those who are easily discouraged (the fainthearted) 5:14b

c. Support: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to help (support) the weak (in faith) 5:14c

d. Be Patient: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to be patient with all men (implying that some are not as strong as others) 5:14d

e. Seek after What Is Good: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians as brethren to not seek retribution upon one another, but to seek after that which is good for one another and for all men 5:15

3. To the Congregation Concerning Personal Living: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to keep their walk with God vital 5:16-24

a. Rejoice: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to rejoice at all times 5:16

b. Pray Continually: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to pray continually (in perseverance) 5:17

c. Give Thanks: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to give thanksgiving to God in every situation because (γὰρ) this is God’s will 5:18

d. Do Not Quench the Spirit: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to not quench (σβέννυτε) the Spirit (who is working in you, or in others) 5:19

e. Do Not Despise Prophecies: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to not despise (depreciate) prophecies (this may be the area in which they were quenching the Spirit), but to examine everything (prophecy) carefully, and to hold fast to that which is good, while they abstain from that which is evil 5:20-22

4. To the Congregation Concerning God’s Enablement: The missionary team prays for God’s work of sanctification among the Thessalonians, and reminds them that He will be faithful to complete that work of sanctification 5:23-24

a. God May Sanctify the Thessalonians: The missionary team prays that the God who is characterized by peace may Himself set the Thessalonians entirely apart unto Himself in blamelessness until the Lord’s coming (cf. 3:11-13) 5:23

b. Trustworthiness of God: The missionary team reminds the Thessalonians that just as God’s calling of them was trustworthy, so will his completion of his call (their sanctification) be trustworthy 5:24

IV. Conclusion: The missionary team, and especially Paul, close their letter by requesting prayer, urging personal expressions of unity, exhorting the Thessalonians to read this letter to all the brethren, and praying that they would experience God’s grace 5:25-28

A. Pray for the Team: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to also pray for them, as they pray for the Thessalonians 5:25

B. Greet with Affection: The missionary team urges the Thessalonians to greet one another with personal affection demonstrating their unity (a holy kiss) 5:26

C. Have This Letter Read: Paul exhorts the Thessalonians in a responsible oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all of the brethren 5:27

D. Prayer for Grace: Paul closes the letter praying that they might have (enjoy, experience) the grace (1:1) of their Lord Jesus Christ with them 5:28

¹ The term is ἡσυχάξειν; cf. Louw and Nida, II:742,754.

² This unit may well be a response to concern among the Thessalonians that the dead would not be raised until the end of the Tribulation with Jewish saints and thus would not be present at the rapture of living saints (Dan. 12:1-2). Perhaps they thought the rapture would happen before anybody died. Now they wonder -- will the dead be left out? They knew about the rapture, but not how it related to the resurrection of dead Christians.

³ The term is ἁρπαγησόμεθα; “rapture” comes from the Latin, “rapere.”

⁴ This may not be three different commands but one with significance for different people because of the ascensive use of καὶ (even). A “shout” (ἐν κελεύσματι, command) may have reference to the church. The voice of an archangel (ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου) may have reference to Israel (cf. Jude 9; 1 Enoch 20:1-7). And the Trumpet of God may have reference to Old Testament Gentile saints (1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 11:15).

⁵ The anticipation of the rapture seemd to lead people to live un-orderly lives.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

A Bibliography of Matthew

Related Media

Books on the Sermon on the Mount

Boice, James M. The Sermon on the Mount: An Exposition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1972.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Revised and unabridged edition. New York: 1937, 1959.

Carson, D. A. The Sermon on the Mount: An Evangelical Exposition of Matthew 5--7. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978.

Friel, Billie. Citizens of the Kingdom: Interpreting The Sermon on the Mount for Daily Living. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992.

Guelich, Robert A. The Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1982.

Jeremiah, Joachim, The Sermon on the Mount. Translated by Norman Perrin. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1963.

Kissinger, Warren S. The Sermon on the Mount: A History of Interpretation and Bibliography. New Jersey: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. and the American Theological Library Association, 1975.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. One volume edition. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959-60, reprint, 1989.

MacArthur, John Jr. Matthew 1--7. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985.

Martin, John A. “Christ, the Fulfillment of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount.” In Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition. Edited by Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

________. “Dispensational Approaches to the Sermon on the Mount.” In Essays in Honor of J. Dwight Pentecost. Edited by Stanley Toussaint and Charles Dyer. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Sermon on the Mount: Contemporary Insights for a Christian Lifestyle. 2nd ed. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980.

Stott, John R. W. Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1978.

Periodicals and Unpublished Works on the Sermon on the Mount

Blomberg, Craig L. “On Wealth and Worry: Matthew 6:19-34--Meaning and Significance.” Criswell Theological Review 6 (Fall 1992): 73-90.

Campbell, Donald K. “Interpretation and Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount.” Th.D. dissertation. Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1965.

Brooks, James A. “The Unity and Structure of the Sermon on the Mount.” Criswell Theological Review 6 (Fall 1992): 15-28.

Charles, J. Daryl. “The Greatest or the Least in the Kingdom?: The disciple’s Relationship to the Law (Matt 5:17-20).” Trinity Journal 13 (1992): 139-162

Hullinger Jerry Michael. “Dispensational Problems in the Matthean Beatitudes.” Th.M. thesis. Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1988

Kingsbury, Jack Dean. “The Place, Structure, and Meaning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.” Interpretation 41 (1987): 131-143.

Lanier, David E. “The Lord’s Prayer: Matt 6:9-13--A Thematic and Semantic-Structural Analysis.” Criswell Theological Review 6 (Fall 1992): 57-72.

MacArthur, John. “The Sermon on the Mount: A New Standard for Living.” Spire 10 (1982): 4, 5, 10.

Richard, Remesh Paul. “Hermeneutical Prolegomena to Premillennial Social Ethics.” ThD dissertation. Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1982.

Turner, David L. “The Context, Structure, Purpose, and Exegesis of Matthew’s Beatitudes.” Criswell Theological Review 6 (Fall 1992): 29-42.

Books on Matthew

Barbieri, Louis A. Jr. “Matthew” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: New Testament Edition. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983.

Bauer, David R. The Structure of Matthew’s Gospel: A Study in Literary Design. Sheffield: Almond Press, 1988.

Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992.

Bruner, F. D. The Christbook: A Historical Theological Commentary: Matthew 1--12. Waco: Word Books, Publisher, 1987.

Carson, D.A. “Matthew” in The Expositors Bible Commentary. Volume 8. Edited by Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Davies, W. D. and Allison, Dale C. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to Saint Matthew. The International Critical Commentary. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Limited, 1988, 1991.

Divorce and Remarriage: Four Christian Views. Edited by H. Wayne House. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990.

Gundry, Robert H. Matthew: A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.

Heth, William A. and Wenham, Gordon J. Jesus and Divorce: The Problem with the Evangelical Consensus. Nashville, Camden, New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.

Inrig, Gary. The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant. Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers, 1991.

Kingsbury, Jack Dean. Matthew as Story. Second edition, revised and enlarged. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986. 1988.

Luther’s Meditations on the Gospels. Translated and Arranged by Roland H. Bainton. Illustrated and Woodcuts by Virgil Solis. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1962.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1992.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

Ryrie, Charles and Steele, Paul E. Meant to Last: A Christian View of Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983.

Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Translated by David E. Green. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975.

Tasker, R.V.G. The Gospel According to St. Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. In Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961.

Toussaint, Stanley D. Behold the King: A Study of Matthew. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980.

Walvoord, John F. Matthew Thy Kingdom Come. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Periodicals on Matthew

Kingsbury, Jack Dean. “The Place, Structure, and Meaning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.” Interpretation 41 (1987): 131-143.

Matera, Frank J. “The Plot of Matthew’s Gospel.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 49 (1987): 233-253.

A Selected Bibliography For The Book Of Hebrews

Related Media

New Testament Backgrounds, Histories, and Introductions

Aharoni Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised Edition. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1968.

Aune, David E. The New Testament in Its Literary Environment. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987.

The Babylonian Talmud. Translated into English with Notes, Glossary, and Indices under the editorship of I. Epstein. 18 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1959.

Bruce, F. F. New Testament History. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980.

________. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.

Childs, Brevard S. The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

Deissman, Adlof. Light from the Ancient East. New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1910.

Geisler, Norman L. and Nix, William E. A General Introduction to the Bible: Revised and Expanded. Chicago: Moody Press, 1968,1986.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. Third edition. Revised in on volume. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970.

Hammond’s Atlas of the Bible Lands. Edited by Harry Thomas Frank. Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond Incorporated, 1977, 1984.

Hemer, Colin J. The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 49. Edited by Conrad H. Gempf. Tubingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1989.

House, Wayne H. Chronological and Background Charts of the New Testament, Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1981.

Johnson, Elliott E. Expository Hermeneutics: An Introduction. Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1990.

Josephus. 9 vols. With an English Translation by H. St. Thackerary, Ralph Marcus, and Louis H. Feldman. Loeb Classical Library. London, 1926-65.

Lolatch, Alfred J. Who’s Who in the Talmud. Middle Village NY: Jonathan David Publishers Inc., 1984.

The Literary Guide to the Bible. Edited by Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1987.

Metzger, Bruce M. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968.

________. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament. Third edition. United Bible Societies, 1975.

Mishnayoth: Edited by Philip Blackman. Second edition. New York: The Judaica Press, 1963.

Neusner, Jacob. The Mishnah: A New Translation. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988.

New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods. Edited by I. Howard Marshall. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1983.

The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha of the Old Testament. Expanded edition containing the Third and Fourth Books of the Maccabees and Psalm 151. Revised Standard Version. Edited by Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965.

Ramsay, W. M. St Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. 3rd ed. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1897. Repr. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949.

Ryken, Leland. Words of Life: A Literary Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

________. The Literature of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.

________. How to Read The Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1984.

Schürer, Emil. The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ. III.2 vols. Revised and Edited by Geza Vermes, Fergus Millar, and Matthew Black. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Ltd., 1973.

Strack, Hermann und Paul Billerbeck. Kommentar zun Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch. 6 vols. München: C. H. Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1922-1928.

Unger, Merrill F. Archaeology and the New Testament: A Companion Volume to Archaeology and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962.

Books on Hebrews

Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. NICNT. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964.

Calvin John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. Translated from the original Latin and edited by John Owen. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1948.

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.

Lane, William L. Call to Commitment: Responding to the Message of Hebrews. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985.

________. Hebrews 1--8. Word Biblical Commentary 47A. Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1991.

________. Hebrews 9-13. Word Biblical Commentary 47B. Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1991.

Moffatt, James A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. The International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1924.

Montefiore, Hugh. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Black’s New Testament Commentaries. London: Adam & Charles Black, 1964.

Morris, Leon. “Hebrews” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol. 12, pp. 3-158. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981

Pfeiffer, Charles F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. EveryMan’s Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

Vanhoye, A. La structure littéraire de l’Epître aux Hébreux. 2nd ed. StudNeot 1. Paris/Bruges: Desclée de Brouwer, 1976.

Westcott, Brooke Foss. The Epistle to the Hebrews. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1892; reprint, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980.

Unpublished Materials on Hebrews

Baylis, Charles Passant. “The Author of Hebrews’ Use of Melchizedek from the Context of Genesis.” ThD dissertation. Dallas TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1989.

Sartarelli, Paul R. “Theology and Purpose of Warning Passages in Hebrews.” Paper submitted for course 439 Theology of Hebrews. Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 1984.

Witmer, John A. Class notes of student in 444 History of Philosophy. Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 1983.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

A Selected Bibliography Of The Book Of James

Related Media

Books

*Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976. Reprint edition, 1984.

Barclay, William. The Letters of James and Peter. Second ed. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.

*Blue, J. Ronald. “James.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: New Testament Edition, pp. 815-836. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983.

*Burdick, Donald W. “James.” In Expositor’s Bible Commentary, pp. 159-205. Volume 12. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.

Car, Arthur. The General Epistle of St. James. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.

Davids, Peter. The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.

Dibelius, Martin. James. Revised by Heinrich Greeven. Translated by Michael A. Williams. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976.

*Doerksen, Vernon. James. Everyman’s Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1983.

Gabelein, Frank E. The Practical Epistle of James. Great Neck, New York: Doniger and Raughley, 1955.

Getz, Gene A. Doing Your Part: When You’d Rather Let God Do It All: Based on James 2--5. Biblical Renewal Series. Ventura CA: Regal Books, 1984.

Harrop, Clayton K. The Letter of James. Nashville: Convention Press, 1969.

Hiebert, D. E. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody Press, 1979.

Knoch, Otto. The Epistle of St. James. New York: Herder and Herder, 1969.

Laws, Sophie. A Commentary on the Epistle of James. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1980.

Manton, Thomas. A Practical Commentary or An Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. London: John Gladding, 1840.

*Mayor, Joseph B. The Epistle of St. James. 3rd. ed. London: Macmillan and Company, 1913; reprint, Minneapolis: Klock and Klock Christian Publishers, 1977.

Mitton, C. Leslie. The Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966.

Motyer, J. A. The Tests of Faith. London: InterVarsity Press, 1970.

Oesterley, W. E. “The General Epistle of James.” In The Expositor’s Greek Testament. Vol. 4. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976.

Plumptre, E. H. The General Epistle of St. James. The Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1893, 1966.

Reicke, Bo. The Epistles of James, Peter and Jude. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., 1964.

Ropes, James Hardy. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary of the Epistle of St. James. The International Critical Commentary. New York: Charles Schribner’s Sons, 1916.

Ross, Alexander. The Epistles of James and John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954.

Strauss, Lehman. James Your Brother. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1956.

*Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Reprint Ed. London: Tyndale Press, 1967.

Vaughan, Curtis. James: Bible Study Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.

Periodicals

Cotty, Robert B. “The Literary Structure of the Letter of James.” Australian Biblical Review 25 (1992) 45-57.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

New Testament Backgrounds, Histories, and Introductions-- Bibliography

Related Media

Aharoni Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised Edition. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1968.

The Babylonian Talmud. Translated into English with Notes, Glossary, and Indices under the editorship of I. Epstein. 18 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1959.

Billerbeck, P. Kommentar zun Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch. 4 vols., 1922-1928.

Bruce, F. F. New Testament History. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980.

________. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.

Childs, Brevard S. The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

Deissman, Adlof. Light from the Ancient East. New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1910.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. Third edition. Revised in on volume. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970.

Hammond's Atlas of the Bible Lands. Edited by Harry Thomas Frank. Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond Incorporated, 1977, 1984.

House, Wayne H. Chronological and Background Charts of the New Testament, Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1981.

Johnson, Elliott E. Expository Hermeneutics: An Introduction. Grand Rapids: Academic Books, 1990.

Josephus. 9 vols. With an English Translation by H. St. Thackerary, Ralph Marcus, and Louis H. Feldman. Loeb Classical Library. London, 1926-65.

Lolatch, Alfred J. Who's Who in the Talmud. Middle Village NY: Jonathan David Publishers Inc., 1984.

The Literary Guide to the Bible. Edited by Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1987.

Metzger, Bruce M. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968.

________. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament. Third edition. United Bible Societies, 1975.

Mishnayoth: Edited by Philip Blackman. Second edition. New York: The Judaica Press, 1963.

New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods. Edited by I. Howard Marshall. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1983.

The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha of the Old Testament. Expanded edition containing the Third and Fourth Books of the Maccabees and Psalm 151. Revised Standard Version. Edited by Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965.

Ramsay, W. M. St Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. 3rd ed. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1897. Repr. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1949.

Ryken, Leland. Words of Life: A Literary Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

________. The Literature of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.

________. How to Read The Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids: Academic Books, 1984.

Schürer, Emil. The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ. III.2 vols. Revised and Edited by Geza Vermes, Fergus Millar, and Matthew Black. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Ltd., 1973.

Unger, Merrill F. Archaeology and the New Testament: A Companion Volume to Archaeology and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962.

Related Topics: Introduction to Theology

An Introduction To Second Corinthians

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I. AUTHOR: The Apostle Paul

A. It is generally agreed that Paul was the author of Second Corinthians (except for portions (e.g., 6:14--7:1) which some understand to be non-Pauline interpolations

B. The account of Paul’s founding of the church is reported in Acts 18 (see historical reconstruction below)

C. External Evidence also supports this conclusion ¹

1. Clement of Rome (c. 95-97)

2. Polycarp [Philippians 2:2 (2 Cor. 4:14); 4:1 (2 Cor. 6:7)] (c. 110-150)

3. The Shepherd of Hermas ² (c. 115-140)

4. Irenaeus (c. 130-202)

5. The Epistle to Dognetus ³ (c. 150)

6. Justin Martyr (c. 150-155)

7. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215)

8. Tertullian (c. 150-220)

9. Origen (c. 185-254)

10. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-386)

11. Eusebius (c. 325-240)

12. Jerome (c. 340-420)

13. Augustine (c. 400)

D. Internal Evidence:

1. Paul identifies himself as the author in 2 Corinthians 1:1

2. Paul refers to himself within the letter (10:1; “I”; biographical portions like 11--12)

3. Paul often portrays himself as struggling to maintain his authority as an apostle with the Corinthians, and to preserve the Corinthians from apostasy; this would be unlikely for an imitator

II. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH

A. The Church in Corinth was planted on Paul’s second missionary journey in AD 50-51 after his visit in Athens (cf. Acts 15:36; 18:1-18)

B. Paul stayed with Roman Jews (who were expelled in AD 49 or 50) named Aquila and Priscilla eighteen months in Corinth teaching the word of God and working as tent makers (Acts 18:1-3, 11)

C. Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia and joined Paul in Corinth whereupon Paul devoted himself full time to the ministry of the word (Acts 18:5)

D. When the Jews rejected Paul, he left the synagogue and began meetings in the house of Titus Justus next to the synagogue (Acts 18:7-8)

E. The Jews brought Paul before Gallio (proconsul of Achaia AD 51 or 52) for breaking their law of worship, but he dismissed Paul since it was not a matter of “wrong or of viscous crime” (Acts 18:12-17)

F. Paul set off for Syrian Antioch (Acts 18:18--22)

1. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut from his vow (18:18)

2. Aquila and Priscilla accompanied Paul on his journey to Ephesus where they remained (18:18-19, 26)

3. Paul set off from Ephesus, landed at Caeserea, greeted the church there and went down to Syrian Antioch (18:21-22)

G. Paul spent some time in Antioch, and set off on his third missionary journey traveling back through Galatia, Phrygia and coming to Ephesus (18:23; 19:1)

H. Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, came to Ephesus, was instructed by Aquila and Priscilla (18:24-26), and went over to Corinth to teach God’s word (18:27--19:1 cf. 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:5-6)

III. PAUL’S SUBSEQUENT CONTACTS WITH THE CHURCH AT CORINTH

A. On Paul’s third missionary journey Ephesus became his base of operations for three years (Acts 18:23; 19:1--20:1, 31).

B. An Unrecorded Visit

1. From Ephesus Paul made a visit which was not recorded in the book of Acts

The second visit to Corinth recorded in Acts 20:1-3 is probably the third visit which Paul promises to make in 2 Corinthians 12:14 and 13:1

a. “Here for this third time I am ready to come to you ....” (2 Cor. 12:14)

b. “This is the third time I am coming to you.” (2 Cor. 13:1)

2. Paul’s unrecorded visit (his actual second visit) is probably the sorrowful visit mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:1; 12:21; 13:2 cf. 13:1)

a. Paul’s first visit (recorded in Acts 18) was not a sorrowful one.

b. From the point of view of 2 Corinthians the sorrowful visit has already occurred and the third visit has not yet occurred (cf. 2 Cor. 2:1 with 12:14; 13:1)

c. Paul does say that he does not want to come to the Corinthians in sorrow again (2 Cor. 2:1; 13:2) requiring discipline as before (2 Cor. 12:21)

C. A “Lost” Epistle

1. Paul wrote an epistle which the church does not now possess (cf. 1 Cor. 5:9, “I wrote you in my letter ....”)

2. While it is possible that this epistle was written before the unrecorded (sorrowful) visit, it seems more logical to place it after the sorrowful visit:

a. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 explains some of the contents of the lost epistle: not to associate with immoral people within the body and not with respect to unbelievers

b. If Paul had visited the Corinthians (in the unrecorded/sorrowful visit) after he wrote the “lost” epistle, then he would have probably explained this point in person rather than needing to explain it in another letter (our 1 Corinthians)

D. The Sending of Timothy

1. Paul later sent Timothy to Corinth by way of Macedonia (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10-11; Acts 19:22)

2. It is doubtful whether Timothy reached Corinth before the writing of 2 Corinthians

a. Acts 19:22 reports that Timothy went only as far as Macedonia

b. 1 Corinthians 4:17 and 16:10-11 views the coming of Timothy as still future

c. 2 Corinthians 1:1 reports Timothy as being with Paul in Macedonia

E. The Writing of 1 Corinthians

1. After the sending of Timothy, news of conflicts in the Church at Corinth reached Paul through “Chloe’s people” (Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus) (1 Cor. 1:11-12; 16:17)

2. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to the reports from “Chloe’s people” and probably sent it by Titus (cf. 1 Cor. “???” and 2 Cor. 7:12-15)

3. Either Titus, or whoever delivered 1 Corinthians, probably told the Corinthians of Paul’s intention to visit the Corinthians twice as is reported in 2 Corinthians 1:15--2:4

4. It is possible that 1 Corinthians is the sorrowful/severe letter written by Paul (2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8)

a. Some identify 2 Corinthians 10-13 as part of the “sorrowful” letter, but this assumes the disunity of 2 Corinthians.

b. While 1 Corinthians does not express a sorrowful tone on behalf of Paul. It seems that the term “sorrowful” in 2 Corinthians refers to the response of the Corinthians rather than the mindset of Paul (2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8)

c. Paul’s affliction (2 Cor. 2:4) was probably in having to make so many corrections to those whom he loved in the young church, but who trusted in natural wisdom.

F. The Anxious Concern of Paul

1. Paul seemed to have agreed with Titus to meet him in Troas when Titus returned from delivering the letter of 1 Corinthians to Corinth to report on the response to the Corinthian church to Paul’s severe letter of correction (2 Cor. 2:13)

2. Paul could not find Titus and thus went on to Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:12-13)

G. The Finding of Titus

1. Paul found Titus in Macedonia (2 Cor. 7:5-6)

2. When Paul heard of the response of the church to 1 Corinthians, he wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia (2 Cor. 7:5-16; 8:1; 9:2-4)

IV. THE DATE OF SECOND CORINTHIANS is the fall of AD 56 or 57:

A. First Corinthians was probably written in the spring of AD 55/56 (see introduction to First Corinthians for argumentation)

B. Second Corinthians was probably written in the fall:

1. Paul’s final departure from Corinth was after three winter months (Acts 20:3) whereupon he sailed from Philippi in the spring (“after the feast of Unleavened Bread” 20:6).

2. Therefore, Paul’s writing of his intended visit in 2 Corinthians 12:14; 13:1 would have been before his final winter stay there: in the fall

C. Possibly as much as eighteen or more months intervened between the writing of First and Second Corinthians:

1. They could have been written in the spring and the fall of the same year, but the “winter” of 1 Corinthians 16:6 need not be the “winter” of Acts 20:3

2. “Last year” in 2 Corinthians 8:10; 9:2 need not point to a six month interval since it is hard to know which calendar (Roman, Jewish ecclesiastical, Athenian, Jewish civil) he was following

3. This allows time for Paul to engage in evangelism along the Egnatian Way and possibly in Illyricum (?) (2 Cor. 2:12; Rom. 15:19)

D. Therefore, 2 Corinthians was probably written about eighteen months after First Corinthians (AD 55/56), or in the fall of AD 56/57

V. HAROLD HOEHNER’S CHRONOLOGY is as follows:⁴

A. Paul’s first missionary journey AD 49

B. Paul’s second missionary journey AD 50-52

1. Arrives in Corinth AD 50 or 51

2. Leaves Corinth AD 52

3. Returns to Syrian Antioch -- AD 52

C. Paul’s third missionary journey -- AD 53-57

1. Arrives in Ephesus in AD 53 and stays three years (Acts 19:10; 20:31)

2. Corinthians written -- AD 56

3. Arrival in Macedonia -- AD 56

4. Corinthians written -- AD 56-57

5. Arrives at Corinth -- AD 56 or 57

6. Leaves Corinth -- AD 57

VI. NOTE WELL: There are other possible historical reconstructions of the events:

A. It is quite possible that the “unrecorded” visit took place after 1 Corinthians was written. In addition there could be another “lost epistle” to the Corinthians which is described in 2 Corinthians 2:4 and 7:8. Titus may have carried this letter also.

B. Possible additional orders are:

1. Founding visit / Former letter/ 1 Corinthians / Painful visit / Severe letter / 2 Corinthians / Anticipated visit

2. Founding visit / Former letter / Painful Visit / Severe letter / 1 Corinthians / 2 Corinthians / Anticipated visit

C. The Proposed order is as follows:

Founding visit / Painful visit / Former letter / 1 Corinthians (severe letter) / 2 Corinthians / Anticipated visit

VII. THE OCCASION AND PURPOSES of 2 Corinthians

A. Titus reported about the brother who had been living in immorality with his step mother and Paul responded (1 Cor. 5:1-6; 2 Cor. 2:5-11)

B. Titus reported that Paul’s change of plans had upset the Corinthians, so, Paul responded (2 Cor. 1:15--2:4)

C. Titus reported that there continued to be divisions (by “Judaizers” and legalists) in Corinth about Paul’s authority as an Apostle, so, Paul responded (2 Cor. 10:10-12).

D. Paul desired to encourage the Corinthians concerning his genuine love for them in response to their good reception of the “severe” letter (2 Cor. 7:3-16)

E. Paul desired to make final arrangements for the collection from the Gentile churches to go with him to the church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8--9)

F. Paul desired to encourage the church to continue in obedience to his words because God is speaking through him

¹ Geisler, A General Introduction to the Bible, 187-188,193.

² Similitude 9:13.7-8; cf. 2 Cor. 13:11.

³ 5:7 (2 Cor. 10:3); 5:12 (2 Cor. 6:9-10); 5:15-16 (2 Cor. 4:12; 6:10).

⁴ Harold Hoehner, “Chronology of the Apostolic Age,” Th.D. dissertation, Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1965.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

An Introduction To The Book Of Colossians

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I. AUTHOR: THE APOSTLE PAUL ²

A. External Evidence: Paul is strongly affirmed to be the author of Colossians

1. Colossians was undisputedly Pauline until the nineteenth century

a. The Later Church Fathers accepted it ³

b. It was not disputed in the later decades:

1) It was probably used as early Justin ⁴

2) It was included in Marcion’s canonical list (c. 140) and in the Muratorian canon (c. 170)

2. This letter is included in the Chester Beatty papyri (P46)⁵

B. Internal Evidence:⁶ Even though there are concerns by modern, critical scholars about Pauline authorship, the evidence for Pauline authorship is not overturned:

1. The primary objections to Pauline authorship are the divergence in literary style, vocabulary, and syntax from Paul’s other writings.⁷ Also it was believed that Paul was combating the heresy of second-century Gnosticism

But literary differences can be explained by appealing to the new content of the letter, the heresy which he is addressing, and Paul’s adaptation of traditional material. Also, there is no need to understand the heresy as a second-century Gnosticism (see below)

2. There are close links between Colossians and Philemon (the latter of which is generally unquestioned as a genuine work of Paul):

a. Both include Paul and Timothy’s name in the opening greeting (Col. 1:1; Phm. 1)

b. Both include greetings from those with Paul at this time, namely, Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas (Col. 4:10-14; Phm. 23,24)

c. Archippus is called a “fellow-soldier” in Philemon 2 and directed to fulfill his ministry in Colossians 4:17

d. Onesimus, concerning whom Philemon is written, is mentioned in Colossians 4:9 as being sent with Tychicus and as bring “one of you”

3. Paul is specifically identified in the letter to the Colossians:

a. The mention of Timothy along with Paul in the prescript is customary in the undisputed letters of Paul ⁸

b. The author follows the Pauline practice of conveying his personal greetings from his fellow workers to the congregation by means of a dispatched message (4:8)

c. The author follows the Pauline practice of closing the letter with his personal signature, as well as, making mention of his own situation as prisoner ⁹

d. Paul is identified in the body of the letter (1:23ff)

e. Paul ties his apostleship to the same tradition of Jesus Christ (1:23ff; 2:6)

f. The expression, “I, Paul” is typical in the Pauline corpus to render his persona¹⁰

II. LOCATION AND DATE: FROM ROME IN AD 60-61.

A. Location:¹¹ Paul’s (first) Roman Imprisonment:

1. Until recently, Rome was considered by most to be the location from which Paul wrote ¹²

2. Caesarea: Some ¹³ understand Caesarea to be the location of writing, but this is unlikely for the following reasons:

a. It is unlikely that a runaway slave (Philemon) would have fled to Caesarea to escape detection and would have found access to Paul like he would have in Rome (where Paul was under house-arrest)

b. Paul expects to be released in the near future since he requests Philemon to prepare him lodging (Phm. 22) and this probably would not have been the case at Caesarea where Paul knew that his only hope was to appeal to Caesar

c. It is unlikely that Caesarea was the home of active missionary work requiring such a large staff of Paul’s co-workers of Gentile origin for Philemon to seek refuge, and it does not seem that this small harbor city was the center of vigorous propaganda suggested in Colossians 4:3,4 ¹⁴

3. Ephesus:¹⁵ Some ¹⁶ understand Ephesus to be the location of writing, but this is unlikely for the following reasons:

a. No evidence exists to affirm that Paul was imprisoned in Ephesus (Acts 19)¹⁷

b. It is unlikely that a runaway slave (Philemon) would have fled to Ephesus and remained there long enough to know Paul since it was no more than 100 miles away from Colossae

c. The “we” sections of Acts do not allow for Luke to have been with Paul while he was in Ephesus (Acts 16:10ff; 20:6,13ff; cf. Col. 4:14)

4. Rome:¹⁸ The most probably location of writing was probably Rome for the following reasons

a. This is a known imprisonment of Paul’s which allows for the events reflected in Colossians and Philemon

b. Acts supports Luke’s presence in Rome with Paul (the “we” sections; Acts 27:2ff)

c. Paul was under house-arrest in Rome which would have allowed him visitors such as co-workers and Onesimus

d. The imperial capital would have allowed the run-away slave Onesimus to seek anonymity and then asylum in Paul’s presence there

e. No other imprisonment in Acts seems to be a real alternative (Philippi in Acts 16:23-40; Caesarea in Acts 24:27)

f. Travel between Rome and the east was frequent and not too formidable a task to make the communications between the prison epistles possible

g. Although not determinative, the doctrinal outlook of Colossians seems to belong to a later rather than to an earlier period supporting a Roman origin over one in Ephesus ¹⁹

h. It is very probable that Aristarchus accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2; cf. Col. 4:10) and thus shared in his imprisonment

i. Even though Paul intended to go on to Spain from Rome (Rom. 1:10ff; 15:19ff) it is not possible to know with certainty what he did upon his release. He could have changed his mind, or at least changed his immediate plans and thus gone to Colossae

B. Date: If the Roman hypothesis is accepted, then it is likely that Paul wrote Colossians early ²⁰ in his (first) Roman imprisonment (i.e., AD 60-61)

III. THE COLOSSIAN HERESY ²¹

A. The Nature of the Heresy--Explicit and Implicit Indications about the Colossian Problem:²²

1. Explicit Teaching of the Opponents:

a. It emphasized abstinence from certain foods and some types of drink 2:16,22

b. It required the observance of Jewish feasts and sabbaths at different intervals 2:16

c. It stressed “self-abasement” and visions 2:18,23

d. It involved angelic worship--either as the object of worship or as the subject of worship (i.e., doing worship) 2:18

e. It taught the need for some kind of worship which was human in origin, a “self-made religion-worship 2:23

f. It praised the value of treating the body severely 2:23 ²³

g. It was depicted by Paul as “Philosophy and empty deceit” espousing the “elementary principles of the world” (2:8)

2. Implicit References in the Book:

a. It demoted Christ from his supreme place 1:13-20; 2:9ff

b. It seems to have as a catchword the term/phrase “fullness” [of deity] 1:19; 2:9

c. It claimed to promote higher spirituality. Paul counters with the argument that they are spiritually complete in Christ (2:10) and warns that the rules and regulations of this religious system only promote the indulgence of the flesh 2:23

d. It probably required circumcision of adherents 2:11; cf. 3:11

e. It may have misconstrued the death-burial-resurrection motif 2:12,13,20; 3:1-5

f. It cast doubt on the completeness of forgiveness in Christ 1:14; 2:13-14; 3:13

B. Possible Sources of the Heresy:²⁴

1. Essenism:

a. B. Lightfoot was the major proponent of this position affirming many parallels between the Heresy and the asceticism of this Jewish group ²⁵

b. Even though there are some parallels, there is no evidence that they lived in the western portions of Asia Minor

c. While this explains the emphasis on higher knowledge and special revelation, it fails to explain the mystical experiences which are apparent in the epistle

2. Greek Pagan Cults:

a. There are many theories along this line of thinking: Neopythagoreanism, mystery religions, pre-Christian Gnosticism, the Iranian Redemption myth, the initiation into the Isis mysteries

b. This is an attempt to emphasize the Hellenism on the church at the time

c. While some of these “cults” actually fight against one another, there is no doubt that the Heresy in Colossae was influenced by the Hellenism of their day; it is difficult to be even more specific

3. Gnosticism:

a. Gnosticism was a “religious movement that proclaimed a mystical esotericism for the elect based on illumination and the acquisition of a higher knowledge of things heavenly and divine”²⁶

b. However, there was not a pre-Christian Gnosticism and it is doubtful that the biblical writers were fighting a known foe called Gnosticism

c. There may well have be roots of a Christian Gnosticism (incipient Gnosticism) which later became the Gnosticism of the second and third centuries AD

4. Syncretistic Religion:

a. The heresy contains a combination of parts of many of the above views wherein Jews and Gentiles are attempting to advance beyond apostolic Christianity

b. This view is very possible and perhaps even diplomatic

5. Jewish Mysticism--the Merkabah Mysticism ²⁷

a. The merkabah mysticism consisted of “religious exercises designed to facilitate entry into the vision of the heavenly chariot (hb*K*r+m#) with God visibly enthroned above it--the vision granted to Ezekiel when he was called to his prophetic ministry (Ezek. 1:15-28)”²⁸

b. In order to obtain such a vision it was necessary to observe:

1) The Mosaic Law concerning purification

2) A period of asceticism of 12 to 40 days

3) The mediatorial role of angels when the heavenly ascent was attempted

c. There are possible parallels to this concept in rabbinic experience, Paul’s experience (2 Cor. 12), other Jewish writings like 1 Enoch 14:8-23, Daniel 7:9-10, and later Gnostocism ²⁹

6. Conclusion:

a. A definitive conclusion about the source of the heresy is not possible since so many possibilities exist

b. It is very possible, however, that the view of Jewish mysticism is more closely tied to the heresy in view of the Jewish elements which are certainly involved

c. Perhaps this Jewish mysticism became a later expression of Gnosticism

IV. ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH:

A. The City of Colossae:

1. Was in the Lycus valley

2. Was about 100 miles east (inland) of Ephesus

3. Had the important cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis as its neighbors where Christian churches had been established (Col. 4:13)

B. The Founding of the Church:

1. It seems that Paul had never visited the church (Col. 1:4; 2:1)

2. It seems that Epaphras acquainted Paul with the Colossians’ ‘love in the Spirit’ (Col. 1:8; 4:12-13)

3. It seems reasonable to assume that the church originated as a result of Paul’s ministry among those at Ephesus (Acts 19:10)

a. Perhaps this was actually accomplished through Ephahras who instructed those in Colossae (Col. 1:12-13)

b. Therefore, perhaps Ephahras was converted through Paul’s ministry in Ephesus

V. PURPOSES FOR COLOSSIANS:

A. To provide advice about the dangerous heresy which had arisen in Colossae and was threatening the security of the church in all of the Lycus valley (cf. 4:16)

B. To answer the heretical issues by asserting the absolute, direct, and continuing supremacy of Christ over all of creation (1:15--3:4)

C. To encourage his readers to live life (personally, within the church, in the home, and in their relationships) in view of Christ as supreme over all of creation (3:5--4:6)

D. To encourage the churches in the Lycus valley to maintain their orderly Christian lives as well as their stability in the faith in the face of the threat of the false teachers 2:2-5 ³⁰

VI. A COMPARISON OF EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS:³¹

EPHESIANS	COLOSSIANS
Emphasizes the Body (Church)	Emphasizes the Head (Christ)
The spirit is pastoral	The spirit is polemical
The emphasis is on oneness in Christ	The emphesis is on completeness in Christ

¹ Much of what follows is adapted from: T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, ICC, pp. xivii-lx1v; F. F. Bruce, “Colossian Problems Part 3: The Colossian Heresy”: Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (1984): 194-208; Carson, Herbert M. The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and Philemon. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 11-25; Brevard S. Childs, The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction, pp. 346-350; Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, pp. 454-563; Geisler, Norman L. “Colossians,” in Bible Knowledge Commentary, pp. 667-669; Everett F. Harrison, Colossians: Christ All-Sufficient, Everyman’s Bible Commentary, 7-16; H. Wayne House, “Doctrinal Issues in Colossians: Heresies in the Colossian Church.” Bibliotheca Sacra, 149 (1992): 45-59; Ralph P. Martin, Colossians and Philemon, The New Century Bible Commentary, pp. 1-41; Peter O’Brien, Colossians, Word Biblical Commentary, pp. xxvi-liv; Curtis Vaughan, “Colossians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 11, pp. 163-171.

² This is not to deny that Paul may have used other materials (e.g., 1:15-20).

³ Polycarp (c. 110-150) Philippians 10:1 [cf. Col. 1:23]; 11:2 [Col. 3:5]; Ignatius (c. 110), Ephesians 10:2 [Col. 1:23]; Iranaeus (c. 130-202), Adv. Haer. 3.14.1; Turtullian (c. 150-220), De Praescr Haer 7; Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215), Storm 1.1; ; Trallians 5:2 [Col. 1:16]; Epistle to Diognetus 10:7 [Col. 4:1]. See Geisler, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp. 188, 193.

⁴ C. 150-155, Dialogue, 85.2; 138.2.

⁵ The second Chester Beatty Biblical papyrus contains ten Epistles which are considered to be of Paul in the following order: Romans, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and dates from about the year AD 200 (Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, p. 37).

⁶ Even though Childs does not hold to Paul himself as the author due to “stylistic and philological evidence,” he must link it with Paul canonically and affirms with Schweizer that it “is not post-Pauline” (The NT as Canon , pp. 345-349).

⁷ The first one to seriously question the authorship of Colossians was E. T. Mayerhoff in 1838, and his theory was developed by F. S. Baur and the Tübingen school.

⁸ See 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

⁹ See 1 Corinthians 16:21; Philemon 19; 2 Thessalonians 3:17.

¹⁰ See Philemon 19; 2 Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17; Ephesians 3:1.

¹¹ The only textual clues in Colossians that Paul is in prison are: 4:3,10,18. But none of these cite the location of the imprisonment.

¹² Although the Marcionite Prologue had the opinion that the Epistle was written from Ephesus [“The apostle already in fetters writes to them from Ephesus”] even though the Prologue to Philemon claimed that that letter was written from Rome (Guthrie, NTI, p. 555).

The “subscript” which was added at a later date asserts: “written from Rome by Tychicus and Onesimus.” Also Eusebius reports that Paul was brought to Rome and that Aristarchus was with him (History, 2.22.1; see O’Brien, Colossians. p. l.).

¹³ Lohmeyer, Dibelius-Greeven, Reicke, J. J. Gunther, Goguel, deZwaan.

¹⁴ O’Brien, Colossians, p. lii.

¹⁵ For a more thorough discussion see Guthrie, NTI, pp. 472-478.

¹⁶ Deissmann, Michaelis, Duncan.

¹⁷ Even though Aristarchus was seized by mob-violence in Ephesus (Acts 19:29), there is no specific mention of arrest for him or for Paul.

¹⁸ See O’Brien for counter view (Colossians, p. li).

¹⁹ See O’Brien, Colossians, p. liii; Guthrie, NTI, p. 557; Childs, The NT as Canon, 346-349; Bruce, Paul, The Apostle of the Heart Set Free, pp. 411-412.

²⁰ Philemon 9 suggests that Colossians-Philemon may have been written early in the imprisonment, “yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--.” The term for “now” (nuniv) is more emphatic than nu'n and suggests that Paul’s imprisonment had only just begun at the time he wrote (O’Brien, Philemon, p. 290).

²¹ Some good reading on this subject may be found in the survey article by H. Wayne House, “Heresies in the Colossian Church,” Bib. Sac. 149 (January-March, 1992): 45-59. Although Bruce once held to an “early and simple form of gnosticism” (Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free, p. 413), he later changed to a defense of a form of Jewish Mysticism which he identifies as “Merkabah Mysticism” in “Colossian Problems Part 3: The Colossian Heresy,” Bib. Sac 141 (July-September 1984): 195-208.

²² Adapted from a paper by Herb Bateman, “Introductory Matters for Colossians”.

²³ This may only be a development of points a and b above.

²⁴ There is no way in which one can be certain about the historical origin of this heresy. Morna Hooker even disputed the existence of a heresy in the Colossian church in her paper, “Were There False Teachers in Colossae?” in Christ and Spirit in the New Testament, edited by B. Lindars and S. S. Smalley (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973), pp. 315-331. However, Bruce seems to be correct when he affirms that “Yes, there were false teachers in Colossae” (“The Colossian Heresy,” Bib Sac 141 [1984]: 195; see also Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free, p. 413).

²⁵ J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (1879; reprinted, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 73-113.

²⁶ Gershom G. Scholem, Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism, and Talmudic Tradition (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1960), p. 1.

²⁷ F. F. Bruce, “The Colossian Heresy,” Bib.Sac. 141 (1984): 201-204.

²⁸ Ibid., pp. 201-202.

²⁹ Ibid., pp. 202-203.

³⁰ These verses express the goal of this letter, and thus explain the applicational section which Paul picks up in chapters 3--4. The false teachers were threatening unified living under the work of Christ (in the home and toward outsiders). Paul is correcting the erroneous instruction which could lead the church astray, and then reaffirming their orderly Christian life and stable faith under the proper view of Christ.

³¹ Adapted from Stanley D. Toussaint, “Colossians” (unpublished class notes in 308 Pauline Epistles and Revelation, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983), p. 2.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

An Introduction To The Book Of Revelation

Related Media

I. TITLE:

A. Revelation is often described as a “the Revelation of John” meaning the revelation to John ¹

B. It is actually a revelation of Christ ² (1:1)

C. The English title comes from the Latin revelatio which in its verb form means “to reveal or unveil that which has previously been hidden.” The was the title given to the book in the Latin Vulgate ³

D. The Greek title is Αποκαλυψις taken from the first word in the text.

II. AUTHORSHIP: Although there is some debate, the author is probably The Apostle John of the sons of Zebedee

A. External Evidence:

1. There was a unanimous agreement as to the Apostle John as its writer by the early church before Dionysius.⁴

a. It was affirmed by Justin Martyr

b. It was affirmed by Clement of Alexandria

c. It was affirmed by Hippolytus

d. It was affirmed by Origin

e. It was affirmed by Irenaeus

2. In accordance with the writer’s statement that he was in exile on the isle of Patmos (1:9), the church Fathers identify this John as the Apostle John ⁵

3. In chapters 2--3 the writer seems to be over the churches of the province of Asia and strong tradition places the Apostle John in this position ⁶

4. Style is a major objection to apostolic authorship, however, this can be answered:⁷

a. The solecisms may be deliberate due to the book’s poetic nature

b. The work reflects a lot of apocalyptic reading behind it

c. If it was written in exile, the tools for a scholarly approach may have been absent

d. There is a mood of emotional excitement which may not have lent itself to polished prose

e. There may have been the help of an amanuensis

f. It is not written as an Apostle, but as a prophet

g. The curious language may be related to the setting forth of divine oracles and visions

B. Internal Evidence:

1. The writer calls himself John (1:4, 9; 22:8)

2. The writer speaks with great authority as a prophet (1:3; 22:6-10, 18-19)

3. The writer demonstrates himself to be a Palestinian Jew steeped in temple and synagogue rituals, the OT and the Targum

4. The writer calls himself John without any further description, therefore, he must have been well known ⁸

5. Many similarities exist between the Apocalypse and other writings of John:

a. Both use the term λογος (Jn 1:1; Rev 19:13)

b. Both use the imagery of “the lamb,” “the water of life,” “he that overcomes,” “keeping the commandments,” and the adjective “true,”

c. There is an invitation to “him that is thirsty (Jn 7:37; Rev 22:17), a commandment received by Christ from the Father (Jn 10:18; Rev 2:27), white clothing for angels, (Jn 20:12f) and the worthy (Rev 3:4)

d. There is the sharp contrast between good and evil ⁹

III. DATE: While it is not possible to be dogmatic, it seems best to place its writing under Domitian (AD 95-96)

A. There are two primary views concerning the time this book was written

1. Early in the seventh decade of the first century during the reign of Nero

2. Late AD 95-96 during the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96). This is probably the better choice:

a. The churches of Asia Minor have a considerable history (2:4; 3:1)

b. The persecution of Domitian was more universal than that of Nero which was centralized in Rome

c. The worship of the ‘beast’ may have been prefigured by Emperor worship which became official policy during Domitian’s reign ¹⁰

d. Early tradition puts it in Domitian’s reign when Irenaeus says that the Apocalypse, “was seen no such long time ago, but almost in our own generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian”¹¹

e. If Revelation 17:8, 11, concerning the beast has the Nero redivivus myth in mind, then this too would support a Domitian date since it would probably take until the time of Domitian for the myth to fully develop ¹²

IV. PLACE OF WRITING: internally and externally the evidence seems to support Patmos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor not far from Ephesus as the place of writing (Rev 1:9)¹³

V. THE RECIPIENTS: The seven churches of Asia Minor and the Church today.

A. The immediate destination for the book was the churches of Asia Minor described in chapters 3--4

1. Perhaps these were chosen by the great circular road which linked them

2. Their order is due to their appearance on the road

B. Since this letter is from the Lord of the Church, it has application to all of the Church

VI. INTERPRETATIONS: There are several different schools of thought regarding the interpretation of the book of Revelation:

A. The Preterist school sees the book as having already been fulfilled by AD 312 with the conversion of Constantine

B. The Historical school sees the book as “a panorama of the history of the church from the days of John to the end of the age”¹⁴

C. The Idealist school sees the book as a conflict of the age-long principles of good and evil with non historic elements

D. The Futurist school sees the book from chapters four on as proclaiming prophecies yet to be fulfilled--this is the position of this writer

VII. THEME OF THE BOOK:

A. Throughout the book there is a conflict of earthly personalities and people directed and energized by demons and especially Satan in order to overthrow Christ’s rule on earth

B. But the book climaxes with God’s ultimate triumph through Jesus Christ to overthrow evil and establish the kingdom ¹⁵

C. This is accomplished by John taking the reader behind the scenes to see the power which rests in the line of Judah, the Lamb that was slain being angry, the throne room of God and by addressing sub-themes such as judgment (14:77; 20:11-15), redemption (1:5; 5:6; 7:14; 12:11) and the kingdom (5:10; 11:177; 12:10; 20:4)¹⁶

VIII. There are many ways in which the structure of the book can be determined:

A. It can be outlined literally as Tenny did using “in the spirit”¹⁷

B. It can be outlined by means of recapitulation wherein chapters 12--19 recapitulate chapters 6--11 ¹⁸ or by having the seven trumpets and bowls recapitulating the seven seals

C. It can be outlined on the basis of 1:19 wherein chapter one refers to the ‘things seen,’ chapters two through three refer to the ‘things which are’ and chapters 4-22 refer to the ‘things hereafter.’¹⁹ This is the outline which will be followed in the ensuing argument even though some argue against it:

1. Some argue that it is too unbalanced--the third point is out of proportion.

But since the book has such a prophetic emphasis, this use of proportion could be intentional

2. Some argue that such an emphasis on chapters 4-22 makes the bulk of the book irrelevant to the seven churches

However, since the seven churches did not know when Christ was going to return, it would be as relevant to them as is today--especially since it was written in light of their persecution (1--3).

3. Within the last major division of the book concerning the ‘things which will be hereafter’ (4:1--22:21) there seems to be a basic chronological development:

a. This section begins with a prologue in 4:1--5:14

b. Then it moves through the tribulation in 6:1--19:21 wherein judgments are delivered

These judgments are part of the historical development of the book being themselves telescopic wherein the seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowls which conclude the tribulation

c. Then in chapter 20 the millennium is described culminating in the eternal state (21--22)

IX. PURPOSES OF THE BOOK:

A. To complete the prophetic theme presented earlier in the prophecies of the Old Testament ²⁰

B. In view of the early addresses in chapters 2--3 to the churches John desires to comfort and encourage believers in the midst of suffering and persecution at the hands of evil ones by assuring them that Jesus Christ, and thus they themselves, will ultimately and finally triumph

C. To challenge the churches to godly living in view of the certain return of Christ and the certain judgment of evil

¹ Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John: An Introduction and Commentary, 1, 5.

² There are those such as Thiessen who understand the genitive to be objective referring to a revelation about Christ (Henry Clarence Thiessen, Introduction to the New Testament, 316 cited by Harold W. Hoehner, “Analysis of Bible Books: The New Testament,” DTS, 249)but it is more probably a subjective genitive referring to a revelation by Christ. The reason for this is basically twofold: (1) the contents go far beyond Jesus Christ Himself with respect to the beast, the harlot, the two witnesses et cetera, and (2) the next clause in 1:1 which describes the revelation as being that which the Father gave to Christ would seems strange if the revelation was about Christ. Why would the Father need to give a revelation about the Son to the Son (Stanley D. Toussaint, class notes of student in 308 Pauline Epistles and Revelation, DTS, Spring 1984. Therefore, the genitive is probably subjective.

³ Harold W. Hoehner, “Analysis,” 249.

⁴ Ibid., 12:404; Toussaint; Gary G. Cohen, Understanding Revelation, 19.

⁵ “Clement of Alexandria says that the Apostle John returned from this island; Eusebius says that he returned after the death of Domitian, and Iranaeus says that he remained in Ephesus after his return until the times of Trajan” (Thiessen, p. 49).

⁶ Toussaint.

⁷ Morris, 27-31.

⁸ Alvan F. Johnson, “Revelation,” EBC, 12:405.

⁹ Morris, 31; Toussaint.

¹⁰ Guthrie, NTI, 950; Toussaint.

¹¹ Guthrie, 956.

¹² Morris, 37.

¹³ Thiessen, cited by Hoehner, 250.

¹⁴ Ryrie, 8; Also see John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, 15-23 for a more complete study.

¹⁵ Don Sunukjian, “Analysis of Bible Books: New Testament.” Unpublished Project, DTS, 353; Toussaint, 3.

¹⁶ Toussaint, 3.

¹⁷ Toussaint, 4.

¹⁸ Sunukjian, 358.

¹⁹ Toussaint, 4; Ryrie, 16; Walvoord, 47-48.

²⁰ Walvoord, “Revelation,” BKC, 927.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

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P46 as the Earliest Witness of 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Problem

Method

Implications And Conclusion

Appendix: A Reconstruction Of The Lost Leaves Of P46

An Argument Of First Thessalonians

I. Introduction: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy open their letter to the Thessalonians affirming their position in God, and praying for God’s grace and peace in their lives 1:1

II. The Paste Work of Faith*Encouragement in their Faith: Paul reminds the Thessalonians of their walk of faith with God and his ministry with them in order to defend the Gospel he taught them and in order to encourage them to persevere despite persecution 1:2--3:13

III. The Present*Exhortations to Live Their Faith: The missionary team exhorts the Thessalonians to exceed in their sanctification, have a patient hope for the future, remain spiritually alert, honor their leaders, and to keep a vital walk with God knowing that God will enable them 4:1--5:24

IV. Conclusion: The missionary team, and especially Paul, close their letter by requesting prayer, urging personal expressions of unity, exhorting the Thessalonians to read this letter to all the brethren, and praying that they would experience God’s grace 5:25-28

A Bibliography of Matthew

Books on the Sermon on the Mount

Periodicals and Unpublished Works on the Sermon on the Mount

Books on Matthew

Periodicals on Matthew

A Selected Bibliography For The Book Of Hebrews

New Testament Backgrounds, Histories, and Introductions

Books on Hebrews

Unpublished Materials on Hebrews

A Selected Bibliography Of The Book Of James

Books

Periodicals

New Testament Backgrounds, Histories, and Introductions-- Bibliography

An Introduction To Second Corinthians

I. AUTHOR: The Apostle Paul

II. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH

III. PAUL’S SUBSEQUENT CONTACTS WITH THE CHURCH AT CORINTH

IV. THE DATE OF SECOND CORINTHIANS is the fall of AD 56 or 57:

V. HAROLD HOEHNER’S CHRONOLOGY is as follows:4

VI. NOTE WELL: There are other possible historical reconstructions of the events:

VII. THE OCCASION AND PURPOSES of 2 Corinthians

An Introduction To The Book Of Colossians

I. AUTHOR: THE APOSTLE PAUL2

II. LOCATION AND DATE: FROM ROME IN AD 60-61.

III. THE COLOSSIAN HERESY21

IV. ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH:

V. PURPOSES FOR COLOSSIANS:

VI. A COMPARISON OF EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS:31

An Introduction To The Book Of Revelation

I. TITLE:

II. AUTHORSHIP: Although there is some debate, the author is probably The Apostle John of the sons of Zebedee

III. DATE: While it is not possible to be dogmatic, it seems best to place its writing under Domitian (AD 95-96)

IV. PLACE OF WRITING: internally and externally the evidence seems to support Patmos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor not far from Ephesus as the place of writing (Rev 1:9)13

V. THE RECIPIENTS: The seven churches of Asia Minor and the Church today.

VI. INTERPRETATIONS: There are several different schools of thought regarding the interpretation of the book of Revelation:

VII. THEME OF THE BOOK:

VIII. There are many ways in which the structure of the book can be determined:

IX. PURPOSES OF THE BOOK:

Pages

Appendix:
A Reconstruction Of The Lost Leaves Of P46

V. HAROLD HOEHNER’S CHRONOLOGY is as follows:⁴

I. AUTHOR: THE APOSTLE PAUL ²

III. THE COLOSSIAN HERESY ²¹

VI. A COMPARISON OF EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS:³¹

IV. PLACE OF WRITING: internally and externally the evidence seems to support Patmos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor not far from Ephesus as the place of writing (Rev 1:9)¹³